Secrets come haunting
by grimmlvr99
Summary: While investigating a homicide in the woods, Nick and Hank encounter a young girl, who seems suspicious and reluctant to reveal anything personal about herself. "Who are you?".. "As if I'd tell you."... As Nick discovers more secrets about the girl, things become clearer about who she is, but when Renard steps in, things get dangerous, risky, and twisted. Child abuse and language.
1. Chapter 1: The mystery girl

**So, this is my first EVER story, so I hope you like it, and please review (if you do like it, or think it can/needs improvement! :D**

Work was slow Thursday afternoon for the Portland PD, which was a little unusual. Nick twirled in his chair as he watched Hank reading through some files. "What are you reading?" He asked. Before Hank could answer Nick, his phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket.

"Detective Griffin speaking." He answered. Hank's eyes widened and Nick leaned in closer.

"Ok, we're on our way." Hank told the caller and he hung up.

"Some hikers found a dead body in the woods, so I guess we better be on our way." He told Nick, and he stood up and walked out of the Precinct to his car, with Nick right behind him. They both got in the car and drove off towards the crime scene.

"So, what do we know?" Nick asked Sergeant Wu as he and Hank arrived at the scene.

"Two hikers, Michael and Laura Anderson, were hiking when they found this-" Wu said and he pointed to the dead victim, who lay sprawled on the ground covered in blood.

"Was he shot or stabbed, or-" Hank asked, pausing to allow Wu to suggest any _other_ ways to be murdered so brutally.

"Well, it looks like the victim, who we've identified as Thomas Webber, was attacked by some kind of animal because he has huge, deep, scratches, but then he also has two bullet holes in his chest." Wu said as he pointed out all of the scratches, which were hard to miss, and then the two bullet holes.

"Maybe he was slashed or something like that. He could've been involved in a gang or something." Hank suggested.

Nick shook his head, a little dazed, as he stared hard at the body of Thomas Webber. "No. I don't think he was slashed." He said quietly. Wu snorted.

"It's simple; he was attacked by his pissed of wife, who had long nails." He joked. Nick and Hank looked at him with a look that said, _'Really?'_. Wu looked at them innocently.

"What? I'm just saying." He muttered and he walked off to investigate further, leaving Nick and Hank alone with the body. Hank opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a rustling sound that wasn't too far away.

"What was that?" Hank asked, drawing his gun. Then, Nick saw someone take off through the woods wearing a black hoodie. Thinking it could be the killer, he took off after them and Hank followed behind him.

The person was running fast, but so were Nick and Hank.

"Freeze!" Hank yelled, but the person ignored him, so he fired his gun near the person, just to distract them.

"That was a warning shot, but the next one won't be, so freeze!" He shouted angrily. Still, the person didn't slow down and Nick sped up, hopping over tree roots and logs. He was close now, just about ten feet away. He could see that the person was short, only the size and build of a child. There was no way this was an adult. But he didn't slow down. He could hear the person breathing hard and then, they tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground harshly. They tried to get up and run, but Nick had already caught up.

"Leave me alone!" The person said with a mixture of fright and anger in their voice. Nick had his gun drawn now, and he rolled the person over so he could see their face. He pulled back their hood just as Hank caught up with him, and Nick realized he was right; this wasn't an adult. It was a girl, and she looked about ten or so and she had a black eye. She had long, wild, dark hair, the same color as his, and she looked familiar, but he couldn't think of who she looked like.

"What the hell happened to you?" Hank asked her, puzzled by her state. Nick was confused too. He and Hank had chased a little girl that saw running from a crime scene and then when they'd caught her, they saw that her clothes were torn and faded, and her face was bruised and bloody. Something wasn't right. The girl looked at the two of them with anger in her eyes.

"That's none of your business." She snapped. Nick laughed a humorless laugh.

"Frankly, that is our business. I'm Detective Nick Burkhardt, and this is my partner, Detective Hank Griffin and we're investigating a homicide that occurred here in the woods and we're trying to figure out what exactly happened." He explained. She gritted her teeth and was still breathing hard.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with." She said through her teeth. She tried to get up, but Nick pinned her back down.

"Get off of me! Leave me alone!" She shouted.

"Who are you?" Nick demanded.

"As if I'd tell you." She spat.

"Listen kid, we're just doing our jobs, so you'd better talk." He said. She stopped squirming and looked directly into his eyes and said in a low voice,

"And I'm just doing mine, so I'd better not." Nick's jaw tightened and he looked over his shoulder at Hank for back-up. Hank just shrugged and reached out to help lift the girl up. Hank grabbed one arm and Nick grabbed the other.

"Let me go, I'm not going with you!" The girl yelled.

"Nobody is going to hurt you, so just calm down!" Nick said. She rolled her eyes and clenched her fists together.

"I beg to differ, Detective." She muttered.

"Hank, go get the Captain." Nick directed Hank and Hank nodded and left, leaving Nick all alone with the girl, who's name Nick still didn't know.

"What's your name?" He asked her, as he let her go. She sat down on the ground and clutched one knee to her chest and had the other leg laying flat on the ground.

"Why do you really care, Detective?" She asked annoyed.

"Because I need to know what happened here, and if you were a witness I need to know who you are." Nick said, then he added,

"Or if you're covering for somebody." The girl bit her lip and shook her head.

"A witness. If only it were that simple." Her voice kind of trailed off as she finished her sentence.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked, as he squatted down so he was level with the girl. She didn't answer him, or even look at him.

"Just tell me your name. Please. We're trying to help." He pleaded.

The girl sighed. "Erin." She said, then she looked at him directly.

"Look Detective, I guess I see that you're just trying to do your job and help, but who are you even helping?" She asked. Nick thought about this for a moment.

"I'm helping whoever needs help, _Erin_." He said with a small smile.

"But-" She began, but was interrupted by Hank.

"Nick, I got the Captain." Hank said. Erin looked up and locked eyes with the Captain.

"Sean?" She said, a little puzzled.

"Didn't expect to see you again, Erin." The Captain said. Erin gritted her teeth.

"Please; the displeasure is all mine." She muttered.

"Now, Erin. Where are your manners?" He asked sarcastically.

"Ich hasse dich." ("I hate you.") She muttered.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" Nick asked confused. The Captain hesitated for a moment before saying,

"We've met before. Briefly, though." When he said this, he kept his eyes locked with Erin's.

"How did you guys meet?" Hank asked.

"Can we talk about this later, gentlemen?" The Captain said quickly. Hank shrugged and Nick decided not to ask any further questions.

"Well, Hank and I are going to take her to the Precinct." Nick said. The Captain nodded and Hank grabbed Erin's arm roughly and led her back to his car, along with Nick. Hank put Erin in the back and got in the front.

"Where are we going?" Erin demanded. Nick turned around from his seat up front next to Hank and said,

"To the Precinct." And then he buckled up and said to Hank, "Drive." And Hank did.

**Hope you liked the first chapter! Please just press that cute little review button, and just write whatever you want! Please review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Questions

Twelve minutes later, Hank pulled up to the Precinct.

"Detectives', why am I here?" Erin asked. Nick got out of the car and opened the backseat door and pulled Erin out.

"You're here for questioning." He told her. Hank led the way into the Precinct and Nick stayed with Erin to make sure she didn't try to make a run for it. They got inside and Nick noticed Sergeant Wu was already back, but he was busy working with a couple of other officers. Most likely, they were discussing the homicide that had just occurred in the woods, no more than a couple of hours ago.

"Hank, get the Captain, if he's back, and tell him I'm going to take Erin into questioning." Nick whispered to Hank, who said "ok" and then went to find the Captain.

"C'mon Erin." Nick told Erin as he led her into the room with the one-way mirror. Once she was in the room, he closed the door behind him and told her to sit, and she did.

"So what is your name?" Nick asked her as she sat down. Erin looked at him, puzzled.

"Detective, what are you talking about? I already told you, it's Erin." She said.

"I know that, but I need your last name too." He said. Erin bit her lip, which Nick thought must be a nervous habit for her.

"Ben's last name is Parker, but I'm not Ben's daughter, not really." She said.

"What do you mean? Who's Ben?" Nick asked. Erin scowled at the name.

"He's an idiot." She muttered.

"He adopted me when I was little, ok? He's not what you'd call 'parent material', though. He yelled a lot, he drank, and he-he hit me a lot too, ok Detective?! Are you happy now?!" She yelled and she slumped back in her chair and looked as though she was going to cry. Nick had no idea. How was he supposed to know how twisted this girl's life was? It explained the black eye, though. But still, even though this girl was mistreated and had had a harsh life, Nick still _knew _she had _something_ to do with Thomas Webber. There was just something about her, something she wasn't telling him, or anyone; something secretive.

"Look, Erin, just calm down. I just want to know where you were when Thomas Webber was murdered." He told her gently. Erin looked at him, her eyes full of so many things; anger, hatred, hurt, fright, loneliness, and abandonment. She looked away and shook her head.

"No. No, I'm not answering any more questions." She said angrily. Nick sighed and opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a small tap at the door; it was Wu.

"Sit tight; I'm not done with you." Nick told Erin as he got up and walked out of the room.

"Here you go Nick." Wu said, handing Nick a file.

"What's this?" Nick asked. Wu pointed to Erin through the small window in the door.

"_This_ is Erin Parker's file." He said.

"Thanks Wu." Nick told him.

"Hey, just doing my job." Wu replied and he went back to his desk. Nick walked over to his own desk and sat down. He opened the file and began reading. _Erin Parker, birth name: Mara Nicole Kessler. Born: July 17th, 2001. Record of: Pick-pocketing and theft. School(s): None. Additional information: Adopted by Benjamin Jacob Parker, age 39, and Rebecca Kaitlin Miller, age 37. Siblings: Adopted brother (Rebecca Miller's child), Rider Colby Miller, age 17-deceased._ As Nick read this, a million questions filled his head. _Kessler? _His Aunt Marie's last name was Kessler, and for some _strange _reason, he didn't think this was any coincidence. He shook his head and just continued reading. _Allergies: None. Doctor(s): Has had several visits' with therapists and psychologists since age 10. At each visit Erin Parker (Mara Nicole Kessler), claims to see 'monsters'. Doctor(s) note: Mentally unstable child._ Nick closed the file; that was all he needed, and wanted, to hear. He collected everything that he'd just read and decided to question Erin further so he went back into the small room, where she sat waiting. Erin didn't look up or say anything, she just sat there.

"Erin Parker, age eleven, huh?" Nick said. Erin looked up at him, a small hint of surprise in her eyes.

"I see you've done your research. Isn't that just what cops do; dig into other peoples' lives?" She said a little sarcastically. Nick looked at her face all bruised. Her eyes were a strange, yet familiar, shade of greenish blue. It wasn't a dark green color, it was actually very light. If you turned out the lights the only thing you could see would be Erin's eyes. She reminded him of his Aunt Marie. Then he remembered what he'd read in her file, about her birth name being _Kessler_.

"That's my job, Erin." He said.

"Erin, tell me about these 'monsters' that you claim to see." Erin's head snapped up and she looked directly into Nick's eyes.

"Are you serious?" She said.

"No way. Every time I tell somebody, they think I'm crazy. No way am I going to tell you too, Detective." She leaned in closer.

"Stay out of it. It has nothing to do with Tom." She hissed.

"Tom, huh? So you do know him?" Nick pressured her. She screwed up her face into a look that said 'duh'.

"Of course I knew Tom. Look, I am done here. I want to leave." Erin demanded.

"And go where?" Nick asked. Erin's eyes filled with anger and her jaw tightened.

"That's not your business. It doesn't even matter where I go, just as long as it's away from here." She said furiously. Nick nodded.

"Ah-I see. Well, sorry, but-uh-that's not going to happen." He said with a fake smile.

"Then I'm done talking with you." She spat and folded her arms across her chest. Nick held up his hands.

"Ok. As you wish." He said and he walked out of the room to find the Captain.

Nick knocked on the door to the Captain's office and walked in slowly.

"What is it Detective?" The Captain asked.

"Well, Erin won't talk to me any more, so I think you should come talk to her instead." Nick said. The Captain sighed and nodded.

"Ok." He said and he stood up and followed Nick into the small room where Erin sat. As soon as the Captain walked in, Erin shot out of her chair.

"What the hell is he doing in here?!" She demanded.

"Take it easy!" Nick said, a little shocked by her reaction.

"And watch your language. This is Captain Sean Renard-"

"Yeah, I'm very aware of who he is." Erin muttered.

"As I was saying, Captain Renard _works_ here and so he is going to question you instead of me, just like you wanted." Nick grinned and left the small room.

"Sit down Erin." The Captain told Erin strictly. Reluctantly, Erin did as she was told.

"What's your alibi?" The Captain demanded. Erin scowled at him.

"Like I'd tell you." She mumbled. The Captain leaned in and folded his hands together on the table.

"Oh, you'd better." He hissed. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Ich weiß nicht etwas zu tun." (I don't have to do anything.) She said.

"Listen to me-" The Captain began, but Erin cut him off.

"Why should I listen to you?! You know what you did is unforgivable. I should've never trusted you in the first place. Rider was right, you're a traitor and a back-stabber, and if I'd listened to him he would still be here. But because of _you_, he's dead. It seems like you never get caught when you 'do away with' people." She yelled, her eyes filling with tears of anger and sadness. The Captain sighed annoyed and angry.

"That wasn't my fault. He got in the way. But I'm not here to talk about your brother. I'm here to talk about what happened between you and Thomas Webber." He said. Erin folded her arms on the table and shook her head teasingly.

"Nope. I'm not going to say anything." She laughed humorlessly as she said this. The Captain rubbed his face, stressed.

"Erin, what the hell happened to Thomas? If you don't tell me, I'm going to throw you in jail myself." He yelled impatiently. Erin held up her hands as if she was scared.

"I'm sure you could guess. Did you even _see _the body?" She asked him. The Captain nodded unsure about what Erin was telling him.

"There you go. That's all of the evidence you need. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving." She finished quickly and bolted to the door, which was obviously locked. She jiggled the knob aggressively, but it was no use. The Captain stood up and grabbed Erin's shoulder harshly.

"Get off me!" Erin cried as she whirled around to face him.

"Sit down." He hissed. Erin looked up into his eyes, a little scared, but not scared enough to show it.

"No!" She cried, and she kicked him as hard as she could on the shin.


	3. Chapter 3: Monroe's help again

Nick had just walked into the little room behind the one-way mirror to see how it was going with Erin and the Captain when he saw Erin kick the Captain. Quickly, he ran into the room and made sure the Captain was ok. He got another officer to help the Captain get back into his office, and when he was gone, Nick grabbed Erin by the shoulders'.

"You are in some serious trouble now." He told her firmly. Erin shook his arms off and stood her ground.

"It wasn't my fault! And it wasn't my fault that Thomas is dead!" She yelled and then she let loose. She burst out crying for the first time Nick had been with her. He felt a little bad. This little girl has been through a lot, but she still wasn't telling the truth about who killed Thomas Webber. _Maybe she really is innocent? _Nick thought. _No. There is something this little girl knows that she isn't telling._ Just then Hank came over wondering why Erin was standing here crying.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hank asked looking at Erin. Erin glared at him angrily and then turned and fled, catching both Nick and Hank off guard for a second.

"Damn it Hank! We can't let her get away!" Nick told Hank as he took off after Erin, who had already fled the building.

"Erin! Erin stop!" Nick called.

"Hank, you go get back-up. I'll take care of Erin." Nick said to Hank. Hank didn't hesitate. He took of back into the building, leaving Nick to deal with Erin. Nick took off, still keeping Erin in sight.

"Erin stop! I can help you! You don't have to deal with this alone!" He cried. Erin stopped and turned to face him. They were about thirty feet apart, but Nick could still see that she was crying.

"You have no idea what I'm dealing with!" She shrieked.

"Yes, I do. Erin, you're not the only one who can see these monsters'. I can see them too." He said. He decided to tell her that he could see Wesen too. He had enough proof that what she was seeing _were_, in fact, Wesen. There was no point to let her keep thinking that she was crazy, even if to her it sounded like _he_ was the crazy one.

"You're lying! Nobody can see what I see!" She sobbed. Nick, slowly, took a few steps closer to her .

"I can. Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I can't tell you everything right here. Not in the open." He said. Erin's sobbing got quieter and she walked over to Nick so that she was standing right in front of him. Nick knelt down and looked her in the eye.

"You don't have to face this alone. I know somebody who can help explain these 'monsters' to you." He told her gently. Then Hank rushed out, followed by Sergeant Wu and two other officers.

"There, Nick's got her!" Hank cried and the officers came rushing towards Nick and Erin. Erin clung to Nick, scared and angry that Nick had called a bunch of cops on her. Nick held up his hands and the officers stopped.

"It's ok. She's not going to do anything. I'm going to take her back to her house." Nick said and the officers and Wu retreated back inside. Hank stayed, confused.

"W-You said she-" He began.

"Yeah, I know. But it's ok. I'll be back later." Nick said to Hank and he led Erin to his car. He had one person in mind that could help him explain a whole lot of stuff to Erin; Monroe.

Nick pulled into Monroe's house and got out of the car.

"This is your house?" Erin asked him.

"Nope. It's a friend of mine. He's going to help explain some stuff to you." He told her as he helped her out of the car. They walked up to the door and Nick knocked on the door.

"Monroe? Monroe it's Nick." He called through the door. Monroe opened it, a little annoyed.

"What do y-" He stopped as soon as he saw Erin.

"Uh, Nick? Who's this?" He asked.

"There is a lot to explain." Nick replied. Monroe looked back and forth at the two and beckoned them inside. He led them to the couch and told them to sit as he went and got two beers from the fridge; one for him and one for Nick. He came back, handed Nick his beer, and sat down across from the two.

"So. Who is this?" Monroe asked again. Nick glanced at Monroe and then at Erin, who was staring at him curiously. He turned back to Monroe and said,

"Can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Monroe didn't reply for a second; he seemed to be daydreaming or something.

"Monroe?" Nick said loudly. Monroe snapped into focus.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, of course." He said quickly and he got up and led Nick into the kitchen.

"So what's the big deal? Why did you bring this kid here?" Monroe asked. Nick leaned in and made sure Erin wasn't eavesdropping.

"I really think this is Aunt Marie's daughter." He said, and Monroe nearly sprayed beer everywhere.

"Dude! Are you serious? Why?" Monroe asked bewildered.

"Well, I did some digging and in her file I found out that her birth name is Mara Nicole _Kessler_." Nick replied.

"So she's adopted? Well, did you even consider the possibility that it's just a coincidence? I mean, come on, your Aunt was _way _too busy to have a child _that _young." Monroe said. Nick shook his head.

"I would've thought that too, but I also read in her file that she has had several visits to therapists' and psychologists' because she claims to be able to see 'monsters'." He said. Monroe snorted.

"Monsters. So that's what we are, if it _is _us this girl, Erin or Mara or whatever, sees. She probably just has an over active imagination." He suggested. Nick sighed, a little frustrated.

"Monroe, it all adds up. Her last name is Kessler and she's been seeing 'monsters' since she was just ten, which was last year. Last year, Aunt Marie died. You know, how it works; a relative dies, and another relative inherits the 'Grimm abilities'." He said.

"Yeah, I know Nick, I told you that. So that's really Marie Kessler's daughter? Huh. Doesn't that make her your cousin?" Monroe said. Nick paused. He hadn't thought of that. He didn't realized that if he _was _right, and Erin _was _Aunt Marie's daughter, then that would make her his cousin. Monroe took a sip of his beer.

"If this is Marie's daughter, then she is going to be a hell of a lot of trouble."

"Well, what am I supposed to tell her?" Nick asked. Monroe shrugged.

"Like I'm supposed to know." He muttered.

"Monroe?" Both Nick and Monroe turned around and saw Erin standing just inside the kitchen.

"What can I do for you kid?" Monroe asked, a little worried.

"I, um-I like your clocks." She muttered as she stared at her feet. Nick smiled. She was probably embarrassed about giving someone a compliment; she wasn't usually the type to be _nice_. Monroe looked totally taken aback and Nick stifled a laugh. Erin looked up and didn't know whether to be angry that Nick had laughed, or to smile and take it as a joke. She smiled. It was a small, crooked, smile, but it was still a smile.

"Well, um thank you." Monroe replied, still shocked.

"I'm going outside." Erin said. Nick stopped laughing and shook his head.

"I don't think I should let you outside." He said. Erin's little smile disappeared and turned into scowled.

"You know, Detective, you're not the boss of me. Just because you're a cop and you work with Sean doesn't mean you can boss me around." She snapped.

"What does it matter if I work with Sean?" Nick asked, confused. The Captain, Sean Renard, was just his boss. It was as simple as that, and nothing more. Why did Erin hate him so much? He had witnessed first hand that they did, in fact, hate each other. First of all, when Hank had gotten the Captain to tell him that they were going to take Erin to the Precinct, Erin knew who he was. Second, when Nick had gone into the little room behind the one-way mirror, he'd seen Erin _kick _the Captain. He had to say, the kid had guts. She kicked a police chief even though she knew she could get into serious trouble. It didn't seem like she actually _cared _about getting in trouble though. But still, Nick had an uneasy feeling about Erin and the Captain. Erin clenched her fists tightly and then relaxed them.

"Forget it." She hissed and she turned and stomped back into the living room and plopped on the couch. Monroe sucked air in through his teeth and then blew it out in a low whistle.

"Seems like you always know how to piss people off." He said. Nick sighed.

"That definitely is Marie Kessler's daughter. Come to think of it Nick, she does look a lot like you." Monroe said as he brought his beer bottle to his lips. He swallowed his last sip of beer and thought for a second.

"Oh great. That means two of you. One of you was enough, but two? Hell, I don't know if I could handle that." He muttered.

"So, how should I tell her about, you know, everything?" Nick asked.

"I have a feeling you're going to drag me into this. Again." Monroe muttered, and he walked into the living room and Nick followed.

"So, Erin. How are you?" Monroe asked awkwardly as he sat down on his couch across from Erin, who didn't look happy at_ all_.

"I'm sitting in a room with a cop and a stranger. I think you can answer that question." She murmured. Monroe shrugged in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess I'd be pissed too. Nick is one-" Nick's 'don't you dare' look cut him off.

"Uh, one great guy!" Monroe said quickly. Of course, that's not what he'd meant to say. Erin rolled her eyes.

"One nosy guy." She muttered.

"Hey!" Nick cried. Erin shrugged and ignored him and Monroe stifled a laugh. Nick looked at him angrily.

"Oh come on Nick! You're are a pretty nosy Grimm." Monroe said, and then his eyes widened in horror when he realized what he'd just said. Erin jumped.

"I've heard that word!" She cried. Nick and Monroe both looked at hear confused. She sat down, embarrassed and didn't look at them.

"Where did you hear that word?" Nick asked. Erin, still not looking at either of them, mumbled,

"In the Arena." Monroe sucked in air. _"The Arena."_ The word echoed through his mind. It reminded him of a dreadful place that he hoped to never see again; The Lowen Games Arena.

"What arena?" Monroe asked before Nick could. Erin slumped back on the couch.

"Never mind, I just heard the word before, ok?" She said.

"No, not ok. This could be serious Erin." Nick said, thinking the exact same thing as Monroe. Erin sat up and leaned her arms on her knees and looked back and forth at the two of them.

"I think it was called The Lowen Games." She said in a low voice. Nick felt light headed and dizzy.

"You've-you've been there?" He asked in horror. He didn't think Monroe looked too good either. His face had gone completely pale and he was silent. Erin nodded.

"You have no idea." She said sadly.

"Oh, Erin, I think I do." Monroe said at last, but he didn't look at her face.

"Nick, I think it's time to tell her." He said and Nick sighed, but nodded. Erin looked at both of them confused and then angry.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Erin-" Monroe began, but Nick cut him off.

"You're a Grimm." He said and Monroe looked at him like he was a complete idiot.

"Well that was a bit sudden. Now you sound like some crazy psychopath." He said.

"Look Erin, you and I have the ability to see things nobody else can." Nick said seriously.

"You mean the monsters." She said quietly. It didn't necessarily sound like a question, but Nick nodded.

"They're actually called Wesen." Monroe corrected. Erin looked at him.

"How do you know?" She asked him.

"Well, I am one." Monroe said. Erin laughed humorlessly, but when she saw the look on both Nick and Monroe's faces', she got quiet.

"Are you serious? No way." She said.

"Show her Monroe." Nick told Monroe.

"Should I? I mean, I scared the crap outta Hank." Monroe said. Nick nodded positively.

"Show me what?" Erin asked.

"Ok, I'm going to tell you what I told Hank; it's _just _me, ok?" Monroe said warningly. Erin nodded, clueless about what Monroe was talking about.

"Nick, let me get in the 'mood'." Monroe said and he stood up and faced the other direction. He turned back around and said again,

"Remember, it's just me Erin." Erin nodded again and had all of her attention on Monroe. Monroe sucked in air, and then all of a sudden, he changed into a Blutbad. He held it for a minute, but then returned back to his normal self. Erin had no big reaction, unlike Hank who'd jumped out of his chair, and just sat there with her mouth hanging partially open.

"Now, Erin-" Monroe began to explain that he hadn't meant to scare her or anything.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Erin cried.

"Do it again!" Monroe had been prepared for a total melt down from her and was totally shocked by her reaction. Nick just laughed.

"Well, I thought you were going to be like Hank. I guess you're more like Nick; you don't really show what you see in your face." Monroe said and he sat down relaxed.

"So, you're a-a Wesen?" Erin asked amazed. Monroe nodded.

"Yeah. A Blutbad. We're basically known as the big bad wolf, though." He said.

"You don't seem so bad to me." Erin murmured.

"Is there, by any chance, a lion Wesen?" She asked. Nick and Monroe glanced at each other hesitantly, and Nick said,

"Yeah, it's called a Lowen. Why?" Erin stiffened and anger filled her eyes.

"He killed him. He was a Lowen." She murmured.

"Who Erin?" Nick asked. Erin looked into his eyes, which were the same color as hers except darker, and said,

"Well, hell Detective, are you stupid?" Monroe laughed.

"Erin, what did I say about your language?" Nick said angrily.

"Whatever, you're not the boss of me. But I know who killed Thomas; it was Ben." She said forcing back the tears that were swelling up in her eyes.

"Thank you Erin. I have to go back to the Precinct. Monroe I need to see you in the kitchen." Nick said.

"Here we go." Monroe muttered and stood up and followed Nick into the kitchen.

"What now?" Monroe asked annoyed.

"I need you to watch Erin tonight. Just for tonight. Please." Nick begged. Monroe's eyes widened in horror and he shook his head furiously.

"No way man. One thing, this kid is trouble and two, I'm not parent material, three, she's a _Grimm_." Monroe babbled.

"Please Monroe. Just for tonight, and I promise I'll pick her up first thing in the morning." Nick said reassuringly. Monroe sighed.

"Ok, but _just _for tonight." He said. He was a little angry because he'd let Nick convince him into helping him _again_. Nick smiled.

"Thanks Monroe, I promise I'll make it up to you." He said.

"You better." Monroe mumbled and Nick left, leaving Monroe alone with Erin.


	4. Chapter 4: Rosalee the Fuchsbau

Monroe went back into the living room and said,

"Well, I guess it's just you and me Erin." Erin sighed and mumbled an "ok" and just slumped back on the couch.

"Monroe can I ask you something?" She said. Monroe shrugged.

"Uh, sure I guess." He said.

"How come only me and Detective can see you Wesen or whatever?" She asked.

"Well, you see Grimm's are known to _kill _Wesen, but Nick is different. He only kills the bad ones, and I'm _not_ a big bad wolf, ok?" Monroe joked. Erin nodded, but she was still confused.

"So, Nick's an experienced Grimm?" She said. Monroe laughed, but he looked at her face and saw she was serious.

"Well, not exactly. He still needs my help _a lot_, because I know more about this stuff then he does." He replied.

"How come I couldn't see you Wesen when I was little? Why is it just now happening?" Erin was so confused, it was frustrating her.

"Well, the way it works is when one Grimm in a Grimm family dies, another relative inherits the abilities of a Grimm." Monroe explained. Erin swallowed hard and tears were swelling in her eyes. She didn't want to know who the Grimm that died was, but she had to know.

"Who died?" She asked quietly. Monroe sighed and sat down.

"It was Marie Kessler, Nick's Aunt. She was also your mother." He said sadly. A tear rolled down Erin's cheek and she looked away.

"The Detective is my cousin?" She asked hoarsely.

"Well, I guess so." Monroe said. Erin wiped her eyes and looked at him curiously.

"How do you know she's my mom?" She asked.

"Nick said he went through your file and found that your birth name is Mara Nicole Kessler." Erin rolled her eyes and gave a small smile.

"He really is nosy." She muttered. Monroe laughed.

"Yeah. But he's good at his job." He said.

"Which one? Being a Grimm or a cop?" Erin asked.

"Well, he's still new at the whole 'Grimm' thing, but he's getting better. As for being a cop, he's smart. Of course, he did accuse me of kidnapping a little girl once, but that was just because he saw me Woge." Monroe replied. Erin scrunched up her nose.

"Woge?" She said confused. Monroe had forgotten that she had no clue what he was talking about. He was used to talking to Nick.

"Woge, it's when we 'change'. We Woge when we feel emotionally, and that's when you Grimms' can see us. There are times when we can allow ourselves to be seen by humans though." He explained.

"How many of you are there?" Erin asked.

"What Blutbads'? Or Wesen in general?"

"Wesen." Erin replied. Monroe nodded and said,

"Has Nick taken you to Marie's trailer yet?" Monroe asked. Erin shook her head.

"Well, she has all this crazy Grimm stuff to fight the bad Wesen, and she has this book full of all different Wesen. Me included." He said excitedly. He noticed Erin yawn and he looked at one of his clocks; it was 10:38 pm. No wonder she was tired, she'd been here for almost three hours and she'd been through a lot today.

"I think it's time for you to go to bed." Monroe said. Erin's eyes widened in horror.

"You mean to sleep?" She asked timidly. Monroe nodded exaggeratedly.

"Yeah, that's what I mean. _To sleep_." He said emphasizing 'sleep'. Erin shook her head.

"I don't sleep. Not anymore." She whispered.

"What do you mean you don't sleep? You have to tire yourself out eventually." Monroe said jokingly.

"I can't sleep. I have nightmares and sometimes if someone tries to wake me up, I can't hear, or feel, them. I don't wake up. I haven't slept in five days Monroe, and when I did sleep that night, this happened-" Erin stopped and rolled up her sleeve revealing a deep, bloody cut.

"Oh my god Erin, that needs to be treated. I need to take you to a hospital." Monroe said concerned. He may not be much of a father, but anybody could clearly see that this wound needed medical attention. Erin rolled her sleeve back down and stood up abruptly.

"No way, I'm not going to a hospital." She said defensively. Monroe sighed, defeated.

"Oh come on Erin. Nobody is going to hurt you in a hospital. They help people there." He said convincingly. Erin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists to prevent herself from bursting into tears.

"They didn't help my mom, though, did they?" Her voice shook and her chin trembled when she spoke. Monroe didn't know what to say. He knew that there was no way he was going to be able to take Erin to a hospital, but he needed to do something. Then he knew just what do with Erin's cut arm. He knew where to take her, but it wasn't a hospital; it was Rosalee's.


	5. Chapter 5: Definitely a target

"Monroe where are we going?" Erin asked for the third time from the back of Monroe's pale yellow bug. Monroe looked at her in his mirror and smiled.

"Rosalee's." He said proudly. Erin froze and swallowed hard.

"As in that weird spice shop?" She asked. Monroe frowned disapprovingly.

"It's not _weird_. Well, at least not for us, but I guess in the eyes of a human or an adjusting Grimm, it is." He said defensively.

"It's weird if _she _owns it." Erin muttered, talking about Rosalee.

"Hey! When we get there, I don't want you to act like this, I want you to be nice to Rosalee." Monroe said impatiently. Erin rolled her eyes and folded her bony arms across her chest.

"Whatever. You're _not _my dad." She muttered. She unfolded her arms and smirked.

"You like her don't you?" She asked deviously. Monroe looked at her in the mirror, shocked.

"What?! No! Of course not! I mean-I'm- I couldn't-It wouldn't-" He stumbled over his words and sighed.

"Ok, ok. I may like her a little bit." He admitted. Erin laughed a little. Monroe noticed that this was the first time she'd laughed since he'd met her. It was a nice sound. It sounded like a happy, _normal _child laugh. It sounded comforting and natural. He shook off the feeling of embarrassment and smiled. He pulled into Rosalee's and Erin went dead silent. As Monroe unbuckled himself, Erin grabbed his arms and her nails dug into his skin. He froze and looked at her hand, which was completely white; she had a good grip on him. A painful grip, too.

"Is she-you know. Is she going to hurt me?" She asked in an almost-whisper. Monroe turned and looked at her poor, frightened face and he smiled a little.

"Yes and no. She is a Wesen, but trust me, she wouldn't hurt you. She's a Fuchsbau." He said gently. Erin's eyebrows went up and she waited for an explanation. Monroe nodded his head as he remembered she had no clue what he was talking about. Nick was seriously going to have to help explain all of this Grimm stuff. After all, she was Nick's cousin, not his.

"It's a fox Wesen. Usually they're very sneaky and such, but Rosalee is a good Fuchsbau, and she's pretty honest." Monroe said reassuringly. Erin looked at him for a minute then nodded blankly and let his go. Monroe got out of his bug and then helped Erin out. He led the way into the spice shop and walked up to Rosalee.

"Monroe!" She said happily, and then she glanced at Erin.

"And friend?" She said puzzled.

"Oh! Rosalee, this is Erin Parker, Erin this is Rosalee Calvert." Monroe said.

"Hi." Erin muttered not making eye contact with either of the two.

"So, uh what are you guys doing here so late?" Rosalee asked Monroe.

"Well, I was hoping you would be able to treat Erin's wound. She absolutely refused to go to a hospital, so I thought I'd take her here." He explained.

"Oh that was smart of you to bring a _human _here." Rosalee said sarcastically. Monroe grabbed her elbow gently and steered her away from Erin and said in a low voice,

"That's the thing; she's not _human _necessarily. She's a Grimm." Rosalee's eyes widened in disbelief.

"How? That's impossible, I thought Nick was the last one." She said.

"She's Nick's cousin, you know, Marie Kessler's daughter." Monroe said and Rosalee groaned causing him to grin a little.

"She's related to Nick? Wonderful." She muttered and turned away from him to face Erin.

"So what's wrong exactly?" She asked her. Erin glared at Monroe.

"It's nothing big." She muttered.

"Monroe?" Rosalee said hoping for Monroe to help her out.

"Here-" He said and he reached out and gently rolled up Erin's sleeve. She hesitated at first, but then allowed him to roll up her sleeve and reveal her wound. Rosalee gasped in horror.

"Oh my god. What happened to you?" She asked horrorstricken. Erin looked down at her feet and muttered something under her breath that Monroe nor Rosalee could hear.

"What?" They both asked in unison. Erin still didn't look at either of them, but she spoke louder.

"Ben." She said angrily.

"Who?" Monroe asked confused.

"It doesn't matter, ok? I'll explain later." She muttered.

"Well, um, ok then. This shouldn't be too bad." Rosalee said a little shaken up, and she went to get some herbs and such to help heal Erin's arm.

"Erin, you've seriously got some explaining to do." Monroe murmured to her as Rosalee rushed around gathering ingredients. Erin bit her lip a little bit and said,

"I can't. If only you guys knew what you were dealing with."

"Well, if you tell us then we _will _know." He said losing his patience with her.

"Hell, calm down." Erin muttered annoyed. Monroe was seriously going to have to get her to break her habit of cussing. _Wait, why should I have to? Erin is Nick's responsibility not mine. I don't have to do anything. _Monroe thought to himself. _But I should. Nick is my friend, and I should help him._

"Like I don't do enough already." Monroe muttered to himself.

"I'm not letting you get away with this." He told Erin. She smirked and said,

"I've gotten away with many things."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Precinct, Nick was busying himself by researching 'Benjamin Parker'. He didn't really find much, and the only things he _did _find were things he already knew. _Benjamin Jacob Parker, age 39. Born: February 18th, 1973. Record of: Theft, child abuse, robbery, drinking and driving, speeding. Parents: Robert Collin Parker-Deceased 1996. Daphne Lauren Brown-Parker-Deceased 1999. Additional information: Diagnosed with ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and strong anger issues. Spouse(s): Rebecca Kaitlin Miller-Divorced. Children: Rider Colby Miller-Step son. Erin Parker- Adopted child. _Nick sighed and exited the file that showed the information and a horrible picture of Ben. He has a dark buzz cut and needed to shave. Along the right side of his face he had a long, thick, scar and his eyes were a dull brown color and his face was formed into a scowl. He didn't seem like a very pleasant guy. Nick remembered what he'd read about 'child abuse' and a thick knot formed in the pit of his stomach. It explained Erin's black eye and about what she'd said about Ben being a Lowen with the anger issues. He looked at the time; 11:09 pm. He should call Monroe to check up on Erin. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Monroe, who picked up after three rings.

"Hey Monroe. How's Erin?" Nick asked.

"Uh, she's fine, I guess." Monroe replied nervously.

"You guess? What the hell does that mean?" Nick asked worried.

"Well, I'm at Rosalee's with Erin right now. She didn't want to go to a hospital, so I brought her here." Monroe shrugged.

"A hospital? What's wrong? Is she ok?" Nick babbled.

"Whoa Nick! Chill out! She's fine, she just has a really bad cut on her arm." Monroe said reassuringly and then he dropped his voice to a whisper.

"She said Ben did it, but I have no clue who that is. And, when I told her it was time for bed she totally freaked out. She said she has nightmares and sometimes _nobody _can wake her up. She said she hasn't slept in five days. Five days Nick! When she did sleep, she said she got that cut. I'm really confused Nick, something's wrong." He said. Nick registered everything through his mind. _So Ben cut her while she was asleep, she has nightmares that are so bad, that she can't even wake up from them, and she's scared of hospitals._ He thought and then realized that he was still on the phone.

"Thanks Monroe. Look, when I pick her up tomorrow, I'll find out as much as I can and I'll let you know if I find something out." He said. Monroe rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you're a goddamn cop, so you better find _something _out." He muttered. Nick smiled and hung up the phone. Monroe was right, there was something wrong, but neither him nor Nick could figure out what.

"Who was that?" Erin asked trying to hide how anxious she was.

"That was Nick." Monroe replied.

"The Detective?" Monroe waved his finger warningly and smiled humorlessly.

"Oh no, don't try and change the subject. That won't work on me." He said smugly. Erin's heart fell disappointedly. Monroe was smarted than she'd expected, and so was Nick.

"Here, this should help." Rosalee chimed in holding a bowl of a weird mixture of herbs and other ingredients. Erin screwed up her face in disgust, and Monroe noticed she looked a little scared.

"What is _that?_" She asked Rosalee. Rosalee smiled contently.

"It'll help your arm. Just sit up here and let me put it on." She told Erin gently.

"What? No way-" Erin began preparing herself for an argument, but Monroe picked her up and put her on the counter as Rosalee instructed.

"Hey!" She cried angrily. She narrowed her eyes at Monroe and muttered something that Monroe couldn't understand.

"What was that?" He asked firmly. Erin clenched her fists and jumped off the counter so she was facing him.

"I said you can't help me any more!" She yelled in his face and she darted out of the spice shop before Monroe or Rosalee could grab her. Monroe watched the door where she'd just burst out of and muttered,

"Hell, Nick is going to kill me if I don't find her. Stay here." He directed Rosalee. She nodded and Monroe took off after Erin. He got outside and sniffed the air. She was to his right and he realized she was heading for the woods. He got his phone and called Nick.

"Nick, she's going to the woods. Find her." He said as soon as Nick answered. He didn't give Nick a chance to speak and just hung up and took off towards the woods.

Erin was panting and out of breath, but she didn't slow down. Finally, she made it to the woods. She raced through the thick trees and didn't stop until she couldn't here any outside noises anymore. She rested heavily against a tree and tried to catch her breath. She heard a twig snap on her right and whirled around ready to fight.

"Who's there? Monroe is that you? Look, I don't need your help Monroe." She yelled angrily. Before she could say anything else, something or someone tackled her to the ground. The thing was fast and she only got a glimpse of it before it punched her in the face. It got off of her and she stood up and noticed there was three of them. Before she could do anything, they all attacked her. Horror and pain surged through Erin's body as the creatures kicked her and hit her. She didn't know who they were, but she knew they were Wesen because no human looked like they did or had strength like they did. Then, all three of them stopped hitting and kicking her and gave her scowls and fled, leaving her in a bloody and barely-alive heap. She rolled on her stomach and tried to push herself up but she collapsed and cried out in agony.

"Erin!" It was Nick. He crouched besides her and gently rolled her over. Her eyes were barely open and she was breathing hard. Half of her face was purple and bruised and bloody.

"Just relax, I'm calling an ambulance." He said and he pulled out his phone and dialed 911. Eight minutes later, an ambulance showed up and a bunch of medics put Erin on a stretcher and put her in the back of the truck.

"Nick..." She breathed.

"Wait! I'm riding with her!" Nick told one of the medics.

"Are you family?" The medic asked.

"Yes." Nick said. The medic nodded and Nick climbed in. He stood besides Erin and looked at her face; she looked like he did when that Siegbarste, Oleg Stark, had busted into his house and attacked him. Nick cleared the memory from his mind and focused on Erin. Her black-eye that she had since he met her and had been fading, was now a fresh purple. Her nose was bleeding and her lip was cut open. She had a deep cut above her left eye and a bruised cheekbone. He was going to find out who did this to her, and when he did, he was going to kill them. If he couldn't do that, he would just arrest them for life. He called Monroe and once he answered he said,

"I found her, but somebody got to her before I did. I don't know who, but when I find out, they're going to pay."

"I hope they start running." Monroe muttered sarcastically. Nick hung up and slid his phone back into his pocket and thought about finding whoever beat Erin.


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmares

They got to the hospital and Nick had to wait outside of Erin's room.

"Mr. Burkhardt, you may come in." One of the nurses said to him after two hours.

"Thank you." Nick said kindly and he walked in. Erin's eyes were open, but she didn't look any better. The cut above her eye was stitched up and both her shoulder and her wrist were bandaged up.

"How are you feeling?" Nick asked her, but there was a small hint of anger in his voice.

"Nick-" She paused to catch her breath.

"What were they?" She managed to say, ignoring his question.

"Erin, tell me who did this to you." He said and he moved to the side of her bed.

"I don't know." She shifted uncomfortably and gritted her teeth together to prevent herself from screaming out in pain.

"Mr. Burkhardt, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Erin needs to rest." A lady said to Nick. It was the same nurse that told him he could enter earlier. Nick nodded and turned to leave, but Erin grabbed his arm and held on to him with the little strength she had.

"Nick!" She cried hoarsely.

"Don't leave me." She begged. Nick sighed and held her hand.

"You need to rest." He told her gently.

"What if they come back?" Erin asked. She was scared and she didn't even bother to hide it, which was very unusual for Erin.

"They won't. You'll be safe here. I'll send someone to check up on you later. Just try and get some sleep." Nick let go of her hand and walked out of her room. He glanced at her one more time and saw her looking out the window, and then he left, leaving Erin alone.

_"No! No Sean, I can't leave him! He needs me; he's going to die! Stop! You can't take me away from him, I have to stay with him! I need him! Sean!" _

_"You'll die out here! Let's go! There's nothing you can do for him now! But there is one thing I can do-" _

_"Sean no! Don't shoot him, stop! Don't kill him! Sean! Sean!-" _

_"Come on now Erin. He's gone." _

_"No! Rider! Rider! You killed him! You're a murderer, you killed him, Sean!" _

_"I did what I had to do." _

_"No! You just killed him!" _

_"Stop it Erin! Let's go, he's dead now. Nothing will bring him back." _

_"I trusted you! You're a traitor! You promised to help me." _

_"And I kept that promise, didn't I?! I taught you how to speak three other different languages! I gave you food! I taught you you're stupid alphabet and whatever else! I have done enough! I can't help you anymore." _

_"You can't leave! Sean! Sean don't leave_ _me all alone! Don't leave me with Ben! Sean!" _

"Erin! Erin, wake up!" Nick cried worried. Erin opened her eyes and they slowly focused so she could see Nick's face clearly. She shook her head painfully, and realized she had had that same nightmare. Again. The same one she's had since that night. The night Rider, her step brother, was killed.

"Nick, how long was I asleep?" Erin demanded.

"Just a day. The doctors thought you were in a coma." Erin looked away from him dazed.

"A day. A whole damn day Nick." She whispered.

"Hey, what did I say about your language?" Nick said father-like. Erin turned to face him and looked directly at his eyes.

"Nick, they left a mark." She said in a low voice.

"Who? What mark?" Nick asked confused. Erin fidgeted and looked away. Then, she slowly rolled up the loose hospital gown on her right arm revealing a mark that Nick was all too familiar with. It was a few deep cuts, still bloody, formed into the shape of a scythe. Nick gasped in horror. He knew exactly who had done this to Erin now; Reapers. He needed to talk to Monroe about this.

"Erin, I have to talk to Monroe." He told her. She swallowed and nodded slowly.

"Ok." She muttered, and he left to Monroe's house.

"Monroe! Monroe it's me, Nick." Nick said as a he knocked on Monroe's front door. Monroe swung it open and looked a little annoyed.

"Come in Nick, by all means, I have nothing _else _to do." He said sarcastically. Nick looked at him disapprovingly as he stepped across the threshold.

"Monroe, this is serious. I know who attacked Erin." He told Monroe seriously.

"Well, with that attitude she's got, I'm sure there's many people she's pissed off." Monroe muttered as he shut the door.

"Monroe!" Nick snapped frustrated. Monroe held up his hands innocently and shrugged.

"Ok, ok. Who?" He asked.

"Reapers'." Monroe's eyes widened in shock and he gasped.

"Seriously?! H-how do you know?" He stammered.

"Erin showed me a 'mark' that her attackers' left on her right arm and it was pretty much an _engraving_ of a scythe. Monroe, this is really bad. They _know _she's a Grimm, and that makes her vulnerable. We have to be careful and make sure she's safe at all times." Nick said firmly.

"You mean they cut her?! Like, with a knife or whatever?" Monroe asked bewildered. Nick nodded slowly and sadly.

"Whoa. Dude, this is serious. You have to protect her. The only way to do that is to train her." Monroe said. Nick met his eyes steadily and sighed.

"She is a piece of work. Training her will be... I don't know." He said unsure.

"It's the only way to make sure she can protect herself."

"School!" Nick burst out. Monroe, shocked by Nick's sudden outburst, jumped back.

"Calm down! What are you talking about? What does _school _have anything to do with this situation." He said utterly confused. Nick was grinning like a fool and he said,

"Don't you see? If Erin goes to school, she'll be out of danger!" Monroe considered this for a minute and then went into the kitchen and pulled two beers out of the fridge and handed one to Nick. He leaned up against the counter and took a sip and said,

"Well, yeah, I guess if she _did _go to school she'd be out of danger. But how are you going to get her into school? Don't you have to pay and sign a bunch of crap?" Nick shrugged.

"Probably. But as long as she safe, then I'll do it." He said suddenly serious.

"Grimms'. Huh." Monroe muttered jokingly as he took a sip of beer. Nick rolled his eyes and sipped his beer, too.

"I just don't want her to be a target for Reapers' or even just Wesen in general." He said. Monroe snorted.

"Are you kidding me? Dude, she's a _Grimm_; of course she's going to be a target. Just look at you, I mean you've been through some crazy stuff, and no doubt Erin will have to go through crazy stuff too." He said in a matter-o-fact way. Nick nodded silently in agreement.

"I guess you're right. I guess I will have to train her. But I'm still sending her to school." He said determinedly. Monroe shrugged and finished off his beer.

"Whatever you say man, but I'm just saying you should be careful." He advised. Nick put his empty beer bottle on the counter and said,

"I think I'm going to go see Erin. If the nurses will let me that is." Monroe huffed and grinned.

"Why wouldn't they? It be easier if they were Wesen and you could, you know, _intimidate _them." He said emphasizing 'intimidate'. Nick shook his head and smiled.

"No way. I don't take advantage of me being a Grimm." He said reassuringly.

"Whatever." Monroe muttered unconvinced. Nick thanked him for the beer and drove off to the hospital. To Erin.


	7. Chapter 7: A huge discovery

The Captain sat at his desk thinking about Erin. She hated him for what he did to her overly-protective-foster-brother, Rider. He only did it because he had to. He wanted to help Erin then, and he didn't want her to see her beloved foster-brother bleed to death. Of course, Rider bleeding to death was actually The Captain's fault himself. Yes, he'd set Rider up to be killed. But if he had known Erin was going to be dragged along too, he would never have gone through with the plan. He should've known that Rider wasn't going to leave her alone with Ben and Rebecca. But he didn't think of that so he continued with his plot to lure Rider somewhere there would be no witnesses. He had some help with some Wesen 'allies' of his. His intentions were for them to kill him, quick and easy, so that he could really help Erin.

He wanted to train her for what she would become; a Grimm. But he wanted to use her power for his own benefit, but things didn't turn out as planned. His allies attacked him, tearing and clawing at him, but then Erin showed up. Turns out, she'd been watching the whole time, ever since The Captain had told Rider what was to happen. She came out of wherever she had been hiding, and he could clearly remember the look on her face. Her face was tear stained and in her eyes he saw hurt and betrayal. She ran to Rider and clutched his hand like a little kid clings to their mom. He tried to drag her away, but she refused to let him near her. His 'allies' were going to attack her too, but he stopped them, and then she cried and she held on tighter to Rider. He was barely alive, but he held her hand with all he strength he had. He told her he loved her and to protect herself from anybody who tried to hurt her. The Captain had no choice but to finish him off once and for all and put him out of his misery and Erin's misery. He shot him. Erin had screamed an ear piercing and heart splitting scream. It was as though someone had physically and mentally shattered her heart. Sean had never felt so guilty in his life. Not once. He tried to convince Erin to come with him, but she was angry. So angry, and he didn't blame her. Rider was the only one that cared about her, and stuck up for her when her abusive dad, Ben, hit her or yelled at her, and he'd killed him. But he had to. He couldn't risk Rider getting in the way of what Erin was to become. But everything went so terribly wrong, and he hadn't seen Erin in years. Until now. And she hated him, and he _pretended _that he didn't care about her. But he did. And maybe it was better for Erin to think he didn't care about her. There was still hope for him to be able to take over her. But he'd have to watch out for Detective Burkhardt. He was a good detective, and so was Detective Griffin. But he would get through to Erin, one way or another.

Nick entered Erin's room and found her lying awake staring out the window.

"Hi." He said when he was next to her bed. She jumped painfully and scowled at him.

"Don't do that Detective." She hissed.

"You can call me Nick, Erin." He told her. She looked back at the window and shook her head.

"No. How do I know I can trust you? What if you're _not _my cousin? What if my mom is still alive?" There was undeniable hope in her voice and it sliced through Nick like knives. He knew her mom was dead, but she didn't know that for sure. She didn't _want _to listen to him because she wanted to hold on to the possibility that her mom could still be alive. But she wasn't. She'd died in Nick's arms. He sighed and crouched down besides her and looked her in the eye.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but it's the truth." He said sadly.

"But what if it's not? Maybe you're just lying and my mom is still out there! She might be with my dad too you know!" She said excitedly. She wasn't mad at him for trying to convince her that her mom was dead and that everything he told her was true, she was just hopeful. That's what hurt Nick so much. He wanted her to be happy, but lying wouldn't help her in any way. Maybe her mom was dead, but it was possible that her dad was alive. He decided to find out. He was going to do some more research on Erin's past later.

"Erin, listen to me. I'm _not _lying. I wish it wasn't true, but it is. Your mom is dead. But-" He paused and breathed in deeply.

"But that doesn't mean your dad is too. Whoever he is." He said. Erin looked crushed, like someone had just punched her in the gut. Well, technically, someone _did_.

"Well, you're a cop, can't you find him or something?" She asked her eagerness rising again. This time he didn't have to disappoint her.

"I might actually be able to. I need to go back to the Precinct, though." He said. She hesitated then nodded slowly.

"As soon as you find out, tell me." She said. He stood up and turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm harshly. He turned to face her and saw a small hint of fear in her eyes.

"I mean it Detective. As soon as you find out. You come back and tell me even if the stupid doctors say you can't come in here." She said firmly.

"Hey, those 'stupid doctors' saved your life." Nick said smiling. Erin locked eyes with him and whispered,

"No they didn't. You did." Nick studied her face. She an exact copy of him. She was thin, and her long, wild and messy hair framed her bruised and cut face. Her eyes were a pretty shade of light greenish blue and the corners of her mouth naturally looked like a little more 'chubbier' than the rest of her face. She still had that familiar look of someone Nick couldn't think of, and it wasn't just his Aunt Marie. Erin looked away, slightly sheepish and slightly angry.

"I didn't stitch you up and save your life. I just found you." He said kindly.

"I don't really think that was a good thing Detective. I didn't want to be found." She mumbled sadly. Nick was a little shocked by what she said.

"You would've died Erin." He said.

"I would've rather died. It'd be better that way." Erin still didn't meet his eyes, but instead looked out the window.

"Erin, whether you're willing to accept it or not, I _am _your cousin. I know it and I have all the proof I need." Nick said confidently. Erin sighed and gritted her teeth.

"They will come back. They weren't finished. What they did to me now was just a message. Next time, I'll be dead." She told him solemnly. Nick tensed a little.

"You won't die. I'll make sure of that myself. We're the last Grimms' and I'm not going let them kill you." He said reassuringly. Erin shook her head.

"I want to leave here. I hate it here, let me go home!" She cried, and then clutched her ribs painfully.

"Calm down, you're not going anywhere." Nick said laying her back down gently. She tightened her jaw and clenched her fists.

"I don't want to stay here, Detective." She muttered to him and looked into his eyes. Nick gently brushed back a strand of her hair and said gently,

"I promise you'll be ok here. I'll come back as soon as I can."

"You're leaving?" Erin asked. Her voice was neutral. She wasn't sad and she wasn't happy. Nick nodded and Erin shrugged.

"Don't come back too soon." She murmured. Nick grinned.

"I'm not joking." Erin said, but Nick detected a tiny smile in her voice and he laughed. Erin huffed and looked away, but as soon as she knew he couldn't see her face, the corners of her mouth turned up ever so slightly.

Nick arrived at the Precinct intending to search for Erin's dad. He sat at his desk and then Hank walked over to him.

"So what are we going to do about that little girl?" Hank asked him. Nick looked up at him confused for a second, then realized he was talking about Erin.

"Oh, I, um, I think she's free Hank." He replied uneasily. He'd forgotten to tell Hank about, well, everything.

"Free? Nick did you hear about what she did to The Captain? She _kicked _him. Kicked him Nick, and we're just supposed to let her go for assaulting a police officer?" Hank said. He wasn't necessarily mad, but he didn't think it was right to just _let _Erin_ go. _

"I guess so Hank. That's not really my department, and it's not yours either. It's not like she _murdered _him. She just kicked him; she's an uncontrollable child with anger issues, or so it seems." Nick said casually. Hank plopped down into his own chair and sighed.

"Yeah, I can tell. But still. I mean, why would she kick The Captain?" He asked confused. Nick shrugged.

"I guess she just hates cops." He said.

"Delinquent." Hank muttered, and he got up and left. Nick sighed, relieved. He turned on his computer and began searching for Erin's dad. Three hours past, and then finally, Nick found what he was looking for. _Mara Nicole Kessler: Biological mother: Marie Kessler. _Nick blinked back tears and continued reading. He gasped and nearly had a heart attack. He choked on air as he processed what he had just read; _Biological father: Farley Kolt. _

_"The Steinadler?! You've got to be kidding!" _Nick thought to himself. He remembered when Farley Kolt had told him about how he'd had a 'thing' with a woman who left him to take care of her sister's kid. His mom's kid. Him. Erin was Farley Kolt's kid and Erin wants to meet her dad. What was he supposed to do, track him down? It's not that he couldn't, it's just too dangerous. Nick didn't want Erin to get involved with Farley Kolt. He wanted to protect her from her own dad. He'd lived without his parents for eighteen years, but that didn't mean he was alone and unloved. He had his Aunt Marie. Erin had nobody. Nick was going to have to make a very big decision. And very soon, too.


	8. Chapter 8: Rules and frustration

Nick knew he had to work, but he also knew what was right and that was to tell Erin who her father was. He decided not to lie to her and just come right out and tell her the truth. Nick marched into The Captain's office and cleared his throat. The Captain looked up at him puzzled.

"Can I help you Detective?" He asked.

"Captain, if you don't mind, I'd like to visit Erin in the hospital. I have some questions to ask her." Nick said. The Captain tensed a little, but Nick didn't notice.

"She's in the hospital?!" The Captain cried. He cleared his throat, embarrassed and said, "You already missed work yesterday, and I can't allow you to miss work today. I'll swing by _if _I get a chance." Nick opened his mouth to object, but Sean cut him off by simply holding up his hand.

"No objections Detective. Get back to work." He said firmly. Nick clamped his mouth shut and nodded angrily. He stormed out of The Captain's office and slumped down at his desk. Hank took one look at him and let out a low whistle.

"Damn Nick. What's going on with you?" He asked.

"Is it that noticeable that I'm a little frustrated?" Nick asked him a little annoyed. Hank grinned a little and shrugged.

"I think 'a little', is an understatement." He replied. Nick, reluctantly, allowed a smile to form on his lips.

"There we go, no we're feeling better. So, what's really going on in that non-existent brain of yours?" Hank teased. Nick laughed and just shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess I'm just tired." Hank looked unconvinced, but didn't push it. Nick looked over Hank's shoulder just in time to see The Captain walk out of the Precinct looking suspicious and mischievous. Nick's jaw tightened as he realized where The Captain was headed, and that was undoubtedly the hospital. _"Oh, Erin is going to F-R-E-A-K!" _He thought to himself.

"Nick? Are you listening to me?" Hank asked him, waving a hand in front of Nick's face to catch his attention.

"Sorry Hank, I got to go." He mumbled and he shot up and hurried out of the Precinct to follow The Captain. Of course, he remained undetected as he got into his car and drove slowly behind The Captain. He had to get to the hospital before The Captain did, or who knows what would happen. Erin would probably never trust him again because she'd assume that _he _sent The Captain to check up on her. He couldn't let that happen, so he had to stop The Captain. As he focused on The Captain's car, which was two cars ahead, his phone vibrated menacingly in his pocket and he answered it angrily.

"Burkhardt?"

"Nick, we've got a call. We've got a double homicide here, and you need to get over here!" Hank practically yelled. Nick gripped the steering wheel angrily and muttered an "ok" and Hank hung up. As soon as he did, Nick smacked his steering wheel in frustration causing the horn to _beep _at the cars in front of him. As soon as he could, he made a legal U-turn and headed back towards the Precinct, wishing Hank could just take this case on his own.


	9. Chapter 9: An unexpected visit

Sean Renard walked confidently into the hospital, eagerly searching for Erin. Finally, he found her and she looked _horrible_. A small pang of guilt hit him, but he quickly shook it off as he walked professionally into her room. Her eyes had been closed, but he knew she never slept. Even before what happened with Rider, she never slept. She _always _had nightmare, but they weren't as bad as what he assumed her nightmares were now. As soon as Erin heard someone walk in, she cracked her eyes open. She realized who'd just entered and jumped and scooted as far away from him as possible.

"You! Why are you here?! Get out!" She cried angrily. She sucked in air to scream for help, but he quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Keep quiet if you want to live! You need to be careful, you're severely injured." He said, his voice cold and flat.

"Do you understand me, Erin?" He hissed. Erin nodded, and she roughly removed his hand from her mouth and gasped for breath.

"Why are you here?" She asked him. She sounded weak instead of demanding. Sean wiped his hand on his coat and gracefully floated to the window and looked out.

"I don't know Erin. What am I doing here?" He asked her, teasing her mind a little. Erin hesitated and then shrugged tentatively.

"How the hell should I know? Why are you here, where's Nick?" Now she sounded a little more demanding. Sean grinned and turned to face her. He walked over to the side of her bed and laid a hand on the little rail.

"I'm here because I got word you were in the hospital." He told her casually. Erin laughed coldly and I sounded more like she was going to burst out in tears.

"Yeah right! That's a damn right lie, you don't give a damn about me! You never have and you never will! So why are you really here, Sean?!" These words made Sean's heart clench and shatter into a million pieces.

"That's not true Erin. I cared about you before your brother, 'Rider', got in the damn way." He muttered. Erin flinched a little, but resisted the urge to cry.

"You _murdered _him, Sean! He didn't do anything, it wasn't his fault for anything! What did he even get in the way of, huh?! If it's some goddamn secret, then I don't know why you're here." Her words dug his heart and mind like knives, twisting and turned, confusing and crushing. He shifted uncomfortably and met Erin's eyes steadily. She was on the verge of crying and screaming, he could tell. But in her eyes he could see what hurt him more than her biting words; abandonment and loneliness. The reason she hated him was, of course, that he'd killed her brother. But what had _really _crushed her, was that he'd fled. He just left her all alone with Ben, her abusive foster dad, and his girlfriend at the time, Rebecca.

"If you did, you wouldn't' have left." She snapped angrily. He stiffened and suddenly felt the urge to slap her and scream, _"I had to leave! Do you think I could've stayed and just gotten caught?! I'm a police chief, what would people say if I murdered a damn an eighteen year old boy?!"_. Instead, he smoothed his coat down and spoke in a surprisingly even voice.

"Erin, I cared about you then and I care about you now. If I wanted you dead, I could arrange that." Erin swallowed hard, but her expression didn't change.

"You set this up didn't you?" She narrowed her eyes at him. Sean's jaw tightened when she said this. Of course he didn't set this up! He didn't want her dead.

"No, I didn't set this up. Erin I don't want you dead-" He reached out for her, but she inched away and scowled at him.

"Go away Sean. You're lying. You're just waiting for a chance to kill me. I'm not stupid you know." She flicked her hair back and tilted her chin up confidently.

"Please, you can't even read." Sean sneered. Erin's eyes widened and Sean figured she gasped, but no sound came out. Her face turned a tomato-red and her hair cast a dark shadow over her face.

"I was seven dammit!" She said angrily.

"You can read now?" Sean asked. He knew the answer was going to be no. First of all, Ben never had, or will, bother to teach her how to read, and second; Erin was dyslexic. Erin looked away and didn't reply. Sean grinned slyly and exhaled deeply.

"Well. Now that you see my point-" He began, but Erin cut him off sharply.

"I don't see _any _point in this stupid conversation, and no matter what, I'm not doing anything you say." She told him stubbornly. Sean rolled his eyes. She'd always been a stubborn child, ever since he'd met her, and she hasn't changed. Ever since the orphanage, she'd built this mental wall that disallowed anybody to reason with her. She never really let her guard down, and she didn't trust people easily. She was like that before too, and when he'd killed her and abandoned her, she hated everybody for it. She didn't let Ben boss her around without a fight, which usually ended with both of them yelling, pissed off, and a lot of stuff broken. Angrily, Sean smacked the railing, sending a surge of pain soaring from his palm all the way up his arm.

"Dammit Erin! Listen to me goddamn it!" He shouted. Erin looked at him with wide, fearful eyes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I just-"

"Just got mad and lost control. Yeah, I'm sure Ben apologizes all the time." She muttered. She sighed. "It happens all the time to me too, Sean." She yawned and her eyelids looked heavy.

"You're tired." He pointed out. She shook her head, but her second yawn said otherwise.

"I'm not tired..." Her voice trailed off and her head drooped, but she snapped it back up trying to stay awake.

"You need rest." He told her. She shook her head and whined.

"No. You know exactly what happens when I sleep." She muttered, barely conscious. Sean grinned and pulled the hospital blanket up to her chin. She looked into his eyes as he did this and her tired face formed a scowl.

"This doesn't change anything." She said in a low voice. Sean nodded and left, feeling a little better about everything. He glanced back at Erin once more, and she was totally asleep. He grinned and headed back to the Precinct even more confident than when he'd showed up.


	10. Chapter 10: Don't tell, won't tell

Nick got to the Precinct just as Hank was about to leave.

"Nick!" He cried as soon as Nick had walked in.

"Man, these murders are serious! Where have you been?" Hank cried. Nick shrugged and Hank rolled his eyes.

"Never mind. C'mon, let's go." He muttered and he led Nick out the building to his car. Reluctantly, Nick got in and buckled up. He wanted to get these murders over with so he could go to the hospital and talk about some big stuff with Erin.

Hank pulled up to some ghetto-looking apartments, which was already littered with cops, and got out of the car. He walked around the car and looked around until his eyes finally fell upon Sergeant Wu. He strode up to him and Nick followed behind trying to focus his mind on the murders instead of Erin.

"What happened _this _time?" Nick asked Wu bitterly. Wu looked at him, questioning his attitude, and then shook his head and said, "Well, it looks like the same scenario with Thomas Webber; two bodies, shredded to bits, except this time, no bullet holes." He explained. Nick tensed a little when he said this and realized that there might be a connection between the deaths.

"Who are the victims?" He blurted. Both Wu and Hank stared at him and he cleared his throat embarrassed.

"Sorry." He muttered.

"Well, we've identified them as Markus West and Samuel James. Not that you can tell by looking at them. The wallets we found in their pockets say that's who they are anyway." Wu said. Nick nodded and followed Wu inside. The came into a small apartment room where two men were laying on the floor. As Wu said, they were torn to shreds and as soon as Nick saw the bodies, he knew it wasn't any slashing. He had a pretty darn good idea of who _this _killer was and that was Ben. Now Nick _really _needed to see Erin.

"Damn. Do you think this could be gang related again?" Hank asked. Wu shrugged, clearly having no clue himself about what this was about. But Nick did. Nick had a lot of clues and he intended to put them all together to figure this whole thing out. If he could, he'd try and prevent any _other _murders like this one.

"Is The Captain here?" Nick asked. Again, Wu shrugged and then walked out of the apartment.

"So do you think this is another slashing?" Hank asked Nick. Nick shook his head.

"Well, what the hell do you think happened then?" Hank's voice rose a little as he became frustrated with Nick. Nick gave him 'a look' and Hank let out a long "ohhh".

"It has to do with all that weird _'Grimm stuff' _again, doesn't it. I think I'm starting to recognize your looks." Hank muttered. A little while ago, Nick had to reveal his secret to Hank about him being a Grimm and all. He had no choice because Hank was freaking out because he'd seen Dr. Brinkerhof woge from Wesen form back to human form and he was having nightmares about it and he thought he was going crazy. So, with Monroe's help, Nick had proved to Hank that _neither_ of them were crazy. He was still adjusting to it, but at least he wasn't being totally kept in the dark.

"Yeah, I think I'm going take this one by myself Hank. I need to go see someone." Nick said.

"Who?" Hank asked curiously, Nick sucked in air and decided just to tell him who he was _really _going to see. He wasn't going to go into detail about the visit though. Just who and where and that's it. Simple.

"Erin Parker." He said seriously. Hank scrunched up his face, confused.

"That juvenile _delinquent _who kicked The Captain? What the hell has she got to do with any of this?" He asked. Nick sighed. He couldn't tell him. _Couldn't couldn't couldn't. _The words chased each other around in his head like little warnings that clearly told him not to say _anything _about Erin to Hank.

"She's not a _delinquent_, Hank. She's just..." Nick hesitated.

"Lost." He said settling on the right word. "Lost".

"Hospital." Nick said, without hesitation this time.

"Why? What'd she do?"

"She was, uh, jumped." Nick said avoiding Hank's gaze. Hank nodded and Nick abruptly,

"Well, I think I'd best be going." Hank watched him suspiciously for a second then said,

"Yeah, I'll drop you off at the hospital, I guess."

"The Precinct will be fine, Hank." Nick said kindly, trying to lighten the strange mood. Hank nodded, but he seemed distant. Like he was thinking about something very particular and that he wasn't really standing here with Nick.

"Yeah, sure.." He said and he followed Nick back outside into the car. He drove Nick to the Precinct and dropped him off and then returned back to the awful apartments, which could really use some air freshener.


	11. Chapter 11: Who's your daddy?

Nick bounded into the Precinct and grabbed a notepad and a pencil. Then he quickly rushed out the doors and hopped into his car. "_I have to get to Erin, I have to, I must. She knows who did this, and so do I. I need to make sure she's ok." _Nick thought to himself as he pushed ever so slightly more on the gas pedal. Eventually, he arrived at the hospital and walked in as casually as possible. He waved a shaky hello to the lady at the front desk as he walked down the halls to Erin's room. When he came to her room, he saw her laying down, eyes closed, squirming and mumbling. He rushed to her side and grabbed on to the railing tightly.

"Erin!" He cried. She didn't respond and he remembered what Monroe had told him about Erin not being able to hear or feel people when she had these nightmares. He took a deep breath and tried to relax.

"Erin. I'm here. It's ok. It's ok, I'm here, I'm here to help. Erin. Erin." He whispered to her gently. She squirmed so violently, it was like she was possessed and getting an exorcism. Finally, she went dead still and Nick held his breath. She was white as a ghost and she had bags under her eyes. Sweat dripped off her forehead and then her eyes miraculously fluttered open groggily.

"Nick?" She managed to say. Nick let out a long sigh of relief, and then Erin groaned.

"What happened?" Nick asked her stupidly. Erin shut her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth.

"Shut. Up." She muttered. She took a deep breath and then gasped and opened her eyes. For a split second, Nick was sure he saw her eyes change from yellow back to green. He ignored what must've been his imagination and focused on Erin.

"Sorry." She muttered apologetically.

"What happened?" Nick repeated.

"Nothing, it was just a nightmare. Did you try to wake me up, Detective?" She asked him seriously. Nick nodded.

"Yeah, I yelled your name." Erin groaned again and rolled her eyes.

"Stupid." She murmured. Nick shrugged innocently.

"Doesn't matter. I'm fine. And-and I'm awake." She told him and she nodded as if she were actually talking more to herself than to him. A silence passed between the two of them for only a minute before Nick remembered why he'd come to see Erin.

"I did some digging and I found out who your dad is, Erin." He said. Her eyes widened in excitement and she gasped.

"Who?" She asked eagerly. He looked at her and hesitated. Should he tell her? _"She deserves to know. She must know..." _Erin's excitement seemed to fade a little the longer Nick took answering her question.

"Who is it Nick?" She asked in a cold voice. He sucked in air and said,

"Farley Kolt." Her thin, dark eyebrows went up as she looked at him curiously.

"Who?" She asked again.

"Farley Kolt, he's-" He paused. He told her _who_ her dad was, but did he have to tell her _what _her dad was? She was already freaked out about all the Grimm stuff and if she found out that her dad was a Steinadler, Nick didn't think she'd take it to well.

"I met him. He was a suspect for a murder and he was in love with my aunt. Your mom." He spoke slowly when he said this. Erin's lower lip quivered a little, but she bit it back so hard, it bled. She didn't even acknowledge the fresh blood that oozed out.

"My dad was a murderer?" She asked in a weak whisper that Nick could barely hear. He pulled up a chair from the corner and sat down next to her.

"He was a suspect, Erin. He was put in jail, but only for a very short amount of time. That was for assaulting Captain Renard, though, _not _a murder." He explained. Erin grinned proudly when she heard this.

"My dad _assaulted_ Sean?" She asked a little excitedly. Nick slapped his forehead with his hand and then he rubbed his face frustrated.

"You're missing the point, Erin. The point is, your dad is _not _a murderer. Well, not directly." Erin's smile faded and she frowned at Nick.

"What the hell does that mean? _'Not directly'_." She muttered. Nick groaned and he suddenly felt exhausted.

"Look, Erin, I'm not going to talk about this right now. I followed through on my promise about finding out who your dad was, now you owe me a favor." Nick said. Erin rolled her eyes.

"What?" She asked him.

"Tell me where to find Ben." For a split second, Nick's voice changed from kind and caring to a cold, demanding stranger. Erin snorted and held up her hands innocently, showing her bandaged wrist.

"Ha, yeah right. You got _no_ chance in _this_ battle Detective. You may be a Grimm or whatever, but this is something not even _you _can do." She said, clearly underestimating Nick. Nick leaned in closer and held his face barely five inches away from Erin's face.

"This is _not _something you can control. I _will _find him, with or without your help, but it'll be quicker for you to just tell me." He warned. Erin sighed and shrugged.

"You'll find him at that old rundown building passed the Diner probably. If we're going to find him-" Nick cut her off.

"Oh no, there is no _we_. This is something I have to do alone. Erin, I appreciate you helping, but with the condition you're in, I don't think you should come." He said and he turned to leave, but Erin stopped him.

"Aw hell no Detective! I'm fine, I can help you. I'm coming with you." She said stubbornly. Nick laughed as though she were joking and pointed to her condition.

"Erin, you're in _way_ over your head. I'm doing this alone, and you're staying here, where I _kno_w you're safe." He said firmly.

"No. Look, you can't do this alone and I know where to find him. So I'm coming with you, no doubt about it." She tilted her chin up to prove that she had already made up her mind, but Nick nodded in a way that seemed a little sarcastic.

"Oh I see. You think this is all your choice do you? Well, with you almost getting killed, there is no damn way that I'm letting you come with me. And I won't go alone; I'll take Monroe." Erin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She opened her mouth to say something in protest, but Nick turned and left without giving her the chance. When he left, Erin slumped back in the bed and she realized she was wearing a clean white T-shirt and clean white pants. _"Weird." _She thought. Normally, they put you in those disgusting and weird gowns that are open in the back. _"I guess I'm lucky." _Erin smiled to herself deviously.


	12. Chapter 12: Erin

**Erin:**

I am not that stupid. Did Nick really think I was going to tell him where to find Ben? Hell no was I going to trust him like that, and he should've been smart enough to know I was lying. I mean, he _is_ a cop. I was perfectly fine and I could definitely manage myself. Ok, so maybe I wasn't in _perfect _condition, but since when had I ever been in perfect condition in the first place? Never, that's when. Not physically and not mentally.

I'd always been bruised and cut and whatever. Ben hardly ever let me out of the house, but I always hung out in the woods. It's not like he was ever sober enough to even notice I was gone. Sometimes when I came back to his house though, he'd find out because I shut the door too loudly or something and he'd get _extremely _pissed. He'd punch me or something and tell me never to do it again. Ha.

I stop letting him hit me without a fight when I was eight. If he hit me, I damn right hit him back or at least smashed something that was valuable to him. Sometimes I just smashed stuff in general. That would make him even more pissed and he'd threaten to throw me in the Lowen Games. Ass. He was already a total jerk when he married Rebecca Miller and when she left him because her son, and my best friend, Rider, was murdered. She thought he was in some way responsible because of all the gambling and drug dealing he did, or as he claims, "used to do".

I hated Ben and I hated Rebecca. She was so rude and she'd slap me all of the time just because I would talk back and disobey her and Ben. But Rider says he hated her too. He was the closest thing I had to a brother and when I got mad and ran out to my clubhouse I'd built in the woods, he'd follow me and bring me a jacket and a book and try to help me read. It was impossible though. Words and numbers always get jumbled up and I can't understand what they say. Sometimes I went there without him knowing and he'd get mad at me. Eventually, he'd forget about it and we'd be happy again. Or as happy as we'd ever be anyway.

I always ran through the woods and got cuts and scratches from tree branches, but that was nothing compared to the pain I was in right now. Right now, three of my ribs were _broken_. Well, they healed a lot and they don't hurt as much, but they _had _been broken. They might still be, I don't know. All I know is that it hurts to laugh too hard. But when did I really laugh? Never. Well, not real laughs anyway. Slowly, I tried to sit up. I gritted my teeth and then I realized I was sitting upright. I grinned and looked down a my white pants and shirt. My grin widened and I realized that the reason I had forgotten I was wearing a stupid gown was because some fool of a nurse had put it on backwards over the pants and T-shirt.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. God, it hurt like hell, but only for a minute or two. I managed to move quietly to the door and open it a crack to see if anybody (specifically nurses and doctors) was watching me. When I saw that nobody was, I moved as quickly as I possibly could and I miraculously made it out of the hospital. I rolled my eyes and nearly laughed as I walked away from the stupid place. They really needed to upgrade their security. I had no idea that 'escape' was going to be so easy. I shook my head and focused on where I was going. Which reminded me-where _was_ I going? I needed to find Nick, but I wasn't just going to trail him like that. That'd be way too obvious, and since I was already vulnerable, I'd be an easier target for any more of whatever the heck had attacked me. Or whoever. I only got a small glimpse of them and they were hideous and scary and- I shook my head and temporarily forgot about the night I got attacked.

I thought about Monroe instead. Soon enough, Nick was going to find out I'd lied to him about where Ben was and I'm sure he'd tell Monroe. If Monroe found out, he could probably with his stupid wolf instincts like how he told Nick I was in the woods that night I'd run away from Monroe. Monroe was ok, a little sarcastic, but I didn't run away from him because I disliked him. I ran away to protect him.

Believe it or not, him and Nick needed _my_ help more then they claimed that I needed theirs. I was just doing my job of protecting them. My job is just to keep my mouth shut. About everything Ben does. Drug-dealing, stealing, shoplifting. The Lowen Games. I swallowed hard and remembered the first time Ben had dragged me to a game. It horrible and cruel. It was worse than anything I'd ever seen. But to him and Rebecca, it had been amusing.

Rebecca was some kind of freaky lizard thing, and I saw that before I was ten. Nick said Wesen can allow themselves to be seen by humans when they're really mad, and now I guess I know why I could see her. Ben was pissed at me for talking back to him and he smacked me across the face and I kicked him so hard in the shin that he dropped his unfinished beer and the bottle shattered everywhere. Rebecca got super pissed at me then, too, and she smacked me as well. Before she smacked me though, she woged and it caught me really off guard.

Now that everything makes somewhat sense, I understand that she was Wesen. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't see the bright red truck come tearing down the street until the last second. With super reflexes I didn't know I had, I leapt out of the way just as the truck zoomed past. I quickly squinted at the license and remembered it. It was clear enough that I could read it, even though I technically can't read. _392 08T_. I repeated the plate several times in my head. My heart was skipping a beat over the fact that I'd almost died (again) and I took deep breaths, even though it hurt like hell. I looked around at the busy street and realized I was still wearing that stupid hospital. Grumbling angrily, I took it off and chucked it into a nearby trashcan.

I walked along the streets wishing I had money and some warmer clothes. Everything felt the way it used to be; I'm cold, I'm in pain, I have no money, I have no food. And I have no family. I sighed and kicked the ground so harshly, I regretted it a second later. I kept my head down so no one would pay too much attention to my face. Or me in general. I looked up occasionally to see where I was going, but for the most part, I kept my head down.

Then, I looked up and looked at where I was; the Diner. I tensed and picked up my pace. I walked quickly through the stream of people, ignoring the mean comments that some shot at me because I pushed them or whatever and tried to stay as concealed as I could. Then, it came into sight; the old rundown building I'd mislead Nick to. I didn't see him anywhere and relief washed over me. When a hand landed roughly on my shoulder, I'm sure a normal person would've screamed. But I wasn't normal, so I didn't scream.


	13. Chapter 13: Lied

Erin spun around and looked up; it was Nick. At first a wave of relief washed over her, but then she realized how pissed off he looked.

"Erin, I told you to stay put! You weren't supposed to come with me. Why did they release you?!" Nick cried. Erin tilted her chin upward and said,

"They didn't. I got out." Then she positioned her face so that she was looking directly up into his face.

"But it doesn't matter. I hope you _found_ who you were looking for." She smirked. Nick gritted his teeth and huffed.

"Erin, why did you lie to me?" He asked her. His voice had an anger tone to it, but it also had a hint of sadness. Erin sighed and clenched her fists. She sucked in air and gathered her confidence. She was going to tell him he truth. For once.

"Because if I told you the truth, he would've killed you." She blurted. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

"And I didn't want you to die, Nick. I don't necessarily _like _you, but I don't want you to die on my behalf." She said, trying to hide any hint that would make him think she cared about him. Nick nodded understandingly.

"Erin, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself, and I'm sure I can take care of you, too." He said sympathetically. Erin blinked, evidently shocked.

"_I _take care of myself just fine, Detective. Look, just because you're my so-called cousin, doesn't mean I trust you. And that definitely means I don't want your help. I'm not going to risk getting you, or anyone else, hurt. Or worse, killed. Just-leave me alone and let me get myself out of my own mess." She said.

"Erin-" Nick began.

"I can't have you on my side. It's too dangerous!" She cried and she turned and ran down the sidewalk, avoiding as many people as she possibly could.

"Erin!" Nick called after her, but it was no use. He had no clue where she was going, but he wasn't going to find her own his own. He needed help, and he needed Monroe's help. He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Monroe's number.

"Ugh, what now, Nick? You know, I might have other stuff to do you know?" Monroe said, annoyed. Nick's eyebrows went up.

"And do you?" He asked. He heard Monroe sigh heavily and defeated.

"No." He grumbled. Nick grinned and continued with what he had to say.

"Monroe, I need you to track Erin."

"Excuse me, but do I look like your police dog?" Monroe asked him, clearly offended. Nick rolled his eyes.

"Monroe, come on. I didn't mean it like _that_, I just need you to find her, ok?" He said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't get why you even _want _to find her, though. She's a real pain-in-the-ass, you know?" Monroe muttered.

"I know, but she's my cousin and she knows more about these murders than I do, so I need her for questioning." Nick admitted.

"Murders? What murders?" Monroe asked, suddenly interested in the conversation. Nick shrugged.

"Three guys were murdered all in a matter of three days, and all of their bodies were found the same way; shredded and bloody." He said, shuddering at the memory of all three of the bodies he'd seen.

"Damn. Sounds a little Grimm-related, don't you think?" Monroe said sarcastically. Nick sighed and mumbled a "yes" and Monroe laughed.

"Good luck, buddy. Seriously, you'll need it. I guess I'll try and find Erin, then." Monroe said and he hung up before Nick could add anything else. Nick sighed and slid his phone back in his pocket just as it rang again. He jumped and pulled it back out.

"Burkhardt?" He answered.

"Hey Nick, it's Hank." Hank Griffin, his partner, said.

"Hank, what's up?" Nick asked.

"I was on my way home and I almost hit this little girl running across the street. So I got out of my car and I asked her if she was ok, and you'll never believe who it was." Hank said. Nick sucked in air. He had a pretty good idea of who it was, but all he said was,

"Who?"

"That little girl from that homicide in the woods! Uh, Erin, I think. So I took her back to the Precinct-" Nick's eyes widened and he blurted out,

"She's at the Precinct? With you?" Hank paused, shocked, and said,

"Well, yeah."

"I'm coming over there right over." Nick said quickly, and he hung up like Monroe had done; quickly and abruptly.

He ran to his car and drove off towards the Precinct. He had to call Monroe and tell him that he didn't need him to track Erin after all, but he'd do that _after _he got to the Precinct. Right now, he focused on what he would say to Erin to make her reason with him and realized that he didn't need to _reason _with her, he just needed her to listen. For once.


	14. Chapter 14: Half and half

Nick drove up to the Precinct and got out of his car. He marched into the building and immediately headed for the interrogation room. He tapped on the door impatiently and Hank opened up the door and gestured him inside with what appeared to be a relieved grin. Nick walked in and took a seat beside Hank and faced Erin, who sat there with a pale, frightened face. Erin's eyes traveled back and forth from Nick's face to Hank's face.

"Erin-" Nick began, but as soon as he started talking, Erin plugged her ears like a child. Nick glanced at Hank, surprised and Hank leaned closer to him and whispered,

"She's been doing that the whole time. She's acting like a crazy child, Nick!" Nick nodded in agreement. What was _wrong _with Erin? She was acting like a total child!

"Erin. Erin!" He shouted, trying to get her to hear him. She clamped her eyes shut tightly and pushed her fingers further in her ears. Nick rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair. He gestured to Erin at Hank, stuttering over his words, and Hank shrugged.

"I'll leave you to deal with her." Hank said and he stood up and walked out of the interrogation room. As soon as Hank left, Erin cracked her eyes open, and when she noticed he'd left she opened them up all the way and pulled her fingers out of ears.

"Damn, I thought he'd never leave." She muttered.

"Erin, what the hell was-" Erin held up her hands and Nick shut up.

"I don't need to be here, but since I _am _here, I want you to find my dad." She said. Her words caught Nick off guard and took his breath away. He felt as though he'd just been punched in the gut.

"Your _dad_?" He repeated stupidly. Erin slammed her hands on the table angrily and her face looked extremely red.

"Yes my dad, dammit! I want to know who he is! I want to know where the hell he is and I want him here! With me." She yelled at Nick. Then she looked passed Nick's shoulder into the one-way mirror.

"A one-way mirror?! Who is _really _that stupid?" Erin sneered, than she gasped.

"Wait-is _he_ back there?" She asked horrified. Nick had no idea who _"he" _was, so he just asked,

"Who?" Erin rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Sean." She muttered through gritted teeth.

"Oh. Well, yeah." Nick replied casually. Erin sighed and rested her head on her arms.

"I'm sorry. I just-I just really want to know who my dad really is." She murmured. Nick stood up and walked out of the room, and when he did, Erin didn't even glance up at him.

He closed the door softly behind him and went behind the mirror, where he found The Captain, Sergeant Wu, and Hank.

"Captain-" He began, but Sean cut him off.

"I know, I heard. I think I should go talk to her. Nick, you stay with Hank and Sergeant." He said.

"Captain, I really don't think that's-" Nick babbled, but Sean simply held up his hands and shut him up.

"You have your orders, Detective." He said calmly, and he walked out of the room behind the mirror and into the interrogation room where Erin sat with her head resting on her arms. Her eyes glanced up and saw him, but she didn't freak out or even move. She just sighed and scowled.

"Where's Nick?" She asked, still not looking up even when he sat down. Her head was facing the wall and she traced a pattern on the table with her finger.

"Doesn't matter." Sean said professionally. Erin snorted and said,

"I'm not stupid. I know he's back there. Probably with that other cop, what's his name? Hank, I think. Yeah that's it. And whatever that Sergeant's name is." Back behind the mirror, Wu yelled, "hey!" and Hank laughed.

"So, where have you been hiding?" Sean asked Erin. Erin adjusted her head so that it was propped up on her fists instead and muttered,

"I haven't been _hiding _anywhere. You can't arrest me for something you can't prove. And you can't prove something I didn't do." Sean sat back and smirked at her comment.

"How can I not prove something you didn't do? Maybe you're in denial, and you _did _murder Samuel and Markus. Maybe even Thomas, too." He sneered. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Shut up. Please, I can't believe anybody would have to suffer through listening to _you _all day. Talk about annoying." She mumbled.

"That's enough, Erin." He snapped.

"I'm not here to talk about me, I'm here to talk about the murders." He continued. Erin sat back and shook her head.

"I want to talk to Detective Burkhardt." She demanded. Sean, in turn, shook his head, and Hank and Wu from behind the mirror stared at Nick, who pretended to be focused on the scene between Erin and The Captain.

"Sorry, but you'll have to put up with me." Sean said, suddenly feeling angry. Erin shook her head again and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked directly at Nick through the one-way mirror as though she could actually see him. She didn't say another word to Sean, she didn't even answer his questions. She was completely zoned out and focused only on Nick. Eventually, Sean, got up abruptly and left angrily and Nick came in.

"Ready to talk?" He asked as soon as he walked in.

"I didn't kill them, Nick! You can't believe him! I didn't kill them, it wasn't my fault, and I'm really sorry! If I could've done something to save them, I would've but he was going to kill me, Nick! He tore them to shreds and I could've stopped him, but I didn't and it's all my fault! He locked me in a closet so I wouldn't get away, but I could see, which is really weird, and I picked the lock and got out and then I was too late, but if you throw me in jail, it won't matter because he'll still kill more people." She blurted and then as soon as she finished, she clasped a hand to her mouth and tears filled in her eyes. Nick stared at her in utter shock and he managed to regain focus.

"It's ok, Erin. We'll have you write that down, though. Thank you for telling me that, but that's not all. I need the details." He said seriously. Erin kept her hand over her mouth and she shook her head in horror. Tears began to fill in her eyes and the glossiness of her eyes shined under the harsh light.

"I'm so sorry Nick. I didn't mean to-" She began in a weak whispered, but was drowned out by her own sobbing. Nick was a little taken aback by her sudden sobbing.

"Um, Erin, it's going to be ok-" He began, trying to comfort her.

"No!" She shrieked eerily, cutting him off. He jumped back in surprise and it was at that moment that he saw her eyes flicker from green to an amber yellow. He gasped and realized that earlier, he hadn't imagined it; it was real. The truth was-Erin was half Steinadler. And that was only because of her dad; Farley Kolt.


	15. Chapter 15: Not-welcome, but back

**Hey guys! Hope you like the story this far, and I'm glad (actually, more than glad) that you guys (hopefully) enjoy my story too! I've got about 1 or 2 chapters left, but worry not! I'm writing a sequel! XD anyways, love you guys and PLEASE KEEP READING! REVIEW FOR ME!**

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Erin gritted her teeth together and clenched her fists. She closed her eyes and took deep, calming breaths. She swallowed hard and opened her eyes. She stared into Nick's eyes with wide green eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just-I just-" Erin sighed and looked away from him.

"Erin, I need to know everything you know about the murders." Nick said seriously. Erin smirked and looked away. She had a sad look in her eyes and her smirk appeared forced.

"Everything." She repeated quietly. It wasn't a question, but Nick nodded anyways.

"Yes, I need to know everything, Erin." He said patiently. Erin looked at him and cocked her head to one side.

"What if I can't tell you everything?" She asked him in an even tone. She didn't sound like she was challenging him or anything and refusing to tell him. She was simply asking a question and wanted to know the answer.

"Don't even go there. Just tell me." Nick replied simply. Erin shrugged and her little grin faded. She sighed and avoided looking at Nick.

"That's the thing, Detective. I, um-" She paused and looked at the mirror for a second, then looked away.

"I can't tell you everything." She finished. Nick looked at her suspiciously and asked,

"Why not?"

"He'll find out." She said in a weak whisper. Nick blinked at her and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You mean Ben?" He asked. Erin nodded shakily and said slowly,

"Trust me, this has nothing to do with the fact that I don't want to tell you. Or the fact that, um, that Renard is back there." Nick took in her words and nodded understandingly, but he was still frustrated. He leaned in and folded his hands together on the table.

"Erin, Ben isn't going to find you here. You can tell me." He said. Erin looked at him and smiled sadly again.

"Detective, I really wish I could. But I suggest you just stay out of this one."

"Ok, well then maybe you'll be able to answer a few questions then?" Erin shrugged and nodded and Nick smiled.

"Why were you in the woods when Thomas Webber was killed?" He asked.

"Because I killed him." Erin replied, a small hint of anger in her voice. Nick looked at her as though he had misheard her.

"You what? I thought you said you didn't kill any of them?"

"I didn't necessarily kill him directly. Well I did, but I didn't." She sighed as Nick looked at her with utter confusion.

"Ok, so some "stuff" happened between Tom and Ben and Ben decided that his best choice was to kill Tom. So eventually, Ben lured Tom into the woods and then, um-" Erin paused and leaned closer so only Nick could hear.

"I don't think I should say in front of them? Do they know?" She asked. Nick realized that her story had something to do with the Grimm world.

"Good call." He muttered back.

"So what do I say?" Erin asked him. Nick give her a sly grin and said,

"You're good at lying; make something up." Erin gave him an equal smile and leaned back and said,

"Ben lured Tom into the woods and then he basically beat the living s-" Nick's eyes widened and he hastily told her to watch her language before she continued.

"Sorry; beat the living crap out of him. I was there and I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just leave Tom there to suffer and die. I shot him. Twice. And he was dead." Erin corrected herself as she finished her story. Nick knew there was more to it, but he also knew that it involved the Grimm world, so he shouldn't make Erin talk about it in front of everyone. Nick also noticed that Erin's eyes had begun to fill with tears, but she blinked them back and put on a calm expression.

"Well, Erin, you still didn't answer my question. Why were you in the woods when Thomas Webber was killed? And-" He smirked and added,

"And why did you just so happen to have a gun on you at the time?" Erin blinked and swallowed hard. She gave him a cocky grin and said,

"Living with Ben, I was always armed with something. I knew he was going out to kill Tom, and I told you, he locked me in a closet so I couldn't get out. I could see in the closet, though, and I just picked the lock and got out. I searched Ben's bedroom for a weapon, and sure enough, I found a gun. I figured a gun would be better than a knife, so I took it. Then, I went to go find Ben. It wasn't hard, actually." Nick nodded unconvinced.

"So, you just thought it was convenient to grab a gun and go?" He said. Erin scowled at him and slammed her palms on the table and leaned close to Nick.

"It wasn't like that!" She hissed. Nick shrugged and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a wallet and he threw it across the table to her. She looked at it for a minute with a puzzled expression, then she sank back in her chair. It wasn't Nick's wallet, and she knew that.

"Do you recognize it?" Nick asked her. Erin nodded and asked,

"Where did you get that?"

"Your house." Nick said casually as if it were no big deal. Erin swallowed and took her eyes off the wallet and looked up at him.

"You went there?" She asked him. Nick nodded and folded his arms across his chest and gestured to the wallet.

"So, explain to me _exactly _where you got this." Nick demanded calmly. Erin swallowed and looked at Nick, then she shot up and bolted for the door. Nick didn't even react, because as soon as Erin touched the door, Hank burst in and grabbed her flailing arms.

"Ok, ok. Calm down, kid!" Hank said struggling to get Erin to stop fighting him. Hank grabbed a hold of her wrists and she looked up at him with her wide, green eyes and said in a whisper,

"What did I do to deserve this?" Hank froze studied her, not knowing what to say. For a split second, Erin's face flashed from human, to Steinadler, and Nick stood up abruptly, but before he could move towards Erin, the Captain walked past Hank and gestured for Nick to stay where he was.

"Don't worry, Nick. I'll take her from here." The Captain said. He turned and grabbed Erin's wrists from Hank, and Erin kicked and struggled, but it was no use; the Captain was way too strong for her.

"Let me go!" Erin cried. The Captain ignored her and practically dragged her to his office. He released her wrists as soon as they got in his office and he closed the door behind him.

"Sit." He said to Erin firmly. Erin sat reluctantly in the chair across from him and looked down at the floor, avoiding his gaze.

"What do you want, Renard?" Erin muttered.

"I know you did it." The Captain, Renard, said. Erin's head snapped up angrily and she gritted her teeth.

"Did what?!" She cried through her teeth. Her face turned a bright red and her instantly shifted into a Steinadler. Erin was so angry, that even the Captain could see her Woge. The Captain remained calm and waited until she shifted back to normal.

"Calm down and just answer my questions." He said. Erin closed her eyes and took a deep breath and nodded to him.

"Ok." She mumbled.

"Did you or did you not, steal that wallet?"

"Did." Erin said in a whisper. The Captain nodded as if he'd expected that as the answer to the question. Which he did, actually.

"Of course you did. You couldn't resist once Thomas Webber was dead, could you?" He taunted.

"I didn't do it because he was dead. I did it to help. And I didn't steal it from Tom, and you know that; I know you do. I stole it from Ben because he took it in order to leave Thomas unidentified when you and your stupid cops showed up. I took Thomas's ID out and put it in his pocket, but I took the wallet with me. Unfortunately, I didn't get far because of _your _cops." Erin said.

"Detective Griffin and Burkhardt." The Captain said, nodding.

"You should've been more careful." He said, a hint of anger in his voice. Erin rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms.

"I'm so sorry. Did Your Highness not get his way?" She snapped. The Captain stiffened and tightened his jaw.

"Yeah, I remember. You told me about it. Before-before..." Erin's voice trailed off and the Captain remembered the day he had explained some things about himself to Erin.

He told her about the Royals' and Hexenbiest and even Adalind. He'd introduced the two and Erin did _not_ like her at all. Not one bit. Just like Nick, she hated her.

"Does Nick know about that?" He asked. Erin shook her head.

"No. I told him that I knew the word 'Grimm', though. Because I had heard before, so that wasn't really a lie." She said. And it _was_ true. She had been to the Lowen Games before. Ben had taken her there and she hated it. Even more than she hated Adalind. All sorts of Wesen were there and they pushed her around and yelled,

_"Let the Grimm fight!" _At the time, she had no idea what they were talking about. Although Ben hated her, he didn't allow her to be thrown in the arena.

She remembered one time another Lowen had grabbed her and tried to get her into the arena and Ben had punched the daylights out of him. It had scared her half to death and she fled the place. She went straight to Ben's place, and when Ben found her holed up in the closet, he had dragged her down and punched her. She didn't cry at all, but she punched him straight back, right in the nose, too.

Ben just got mad and left then, and she had been alone. She usually was, and Ben _never_ let her out of the house without him knowing, so she'd taken a chance and ran to the woods. Just ran. She didn't stop until her legs couldn't carry her anymore and she'd collapsed.

Ben had found her, and how, she had no clue. He'd taken her back to his house locked her up in her room. Erin hated living with Ben, but not as much as she hated Adalind. She shuddered at the memory of Adalind and tried to focus. But then she remembered that Adalind had magicked that cat, Majique, and the cat had scratched Nick's girlfriend, Juliette Silverton, and put her in a coma.

Erin knew more about Nick and his life than he knew and she'd like to keep it that way. She didn't want him to know about anything.

"Does Nick know about you?" She asked the Captain. He looked at her, clearly puzzled, and shook his head.

"As a Hexenbiest?" He asked. Erin shook her head and said,

"About Juliette." The Captain inhaled sharply and shook his head.

"No. No, he doesn't." He said. Erin nodded her head, expecting that answer.

"Of course he doesn't." She mumbled. She sighed loudly and gave him a fake grin.

"Guess we're in the same, _sinking_, boat." She said.

"I didn't bring you in here to discuss this, you know." The Captain said calmly. Erin shrugged and unfolded her arms. She reached over and grabbed a pen off his desk before he even knew what she was doing. She grabbed a piece of random paper and turned it back and forth, examining it.

"This looks important." She said. Then she just shrugged nonchalantly and began scribbling something on the paper.

She placed the paper, faced down, and stood up. The Captain looked from the paper to her with a questioning look on his face. Erin looked back at him seriously and walked over to the door. She opened it and walked out swiftly and closed it loudly behind her.

As soon as she left the room, the Captain slowly picked up the paper and read it to himself.

_"He's going to come and kill me."_

That was all that the paper said, but the Captain understood. She was talking about Ben. And she was right. He was going to try and kill her.

Erin walked out of Captain Renard's office and craned her neck until she spotted Nick at his desk, sitting next to Hank. She moved quickly, avoiding eye contact with anybody, and came to Nick's desk.

Nick looked up and grinned at her.

"So?" He said casually. Erin shrugged and glanced over at Hank.

"Look, Erin, I was just doing my job, I didn't mean anything negative, ok?" Hank said.

"I know, Griffin." Erin said simply. She didn't sound rude or hateful or anything, either. Before she could say anything more, Nick spoke up.

"Erin, I've been thinking, and Hank and the Captain and I all agree that you should be put into protective custody. I don't want anything to happen to you; we need answers that you have." He said. Erin clamped her mouth shut and sighed slightly.

"Ok." She whispered. Nick raised his eyebrows at her.

"Ok?" He asked. He was _sure _that she was going to object. Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought he did. Erin shrugged and said,

"Yeah, I said ok." Before either of them could say anything else, a man burst into the Precinct doors and all three of their heads turned and looked. He seemed familiar to Nick, though he couldn't remember who he was. The man looked around the Precinct , apparently looking for something, or someone, and finally locked eyes with Erin. The man had a dark buzz cut and a long, thick scar on the right side of his face. He had hateful brown eyes that bore into Erin like flames.

He grinned wickedly and Erin screamed as loud as she could. She screamed so loud, everyone in the entire Precinct heard it and had to cover their ears.

The Captain burst out of his office to see what was wrong and gasped when he saw the guy. The guy took two steps towards Erin and she whirled around and clutched onto Nick for dear life.

"Now, what the hell are you two doing with my daughter?" The man asked, still grinning. That's when Nick recognized him.

"Holy. Shit." Hank muttered, in sync with Nick.

"Ben, I swear, if you come near me, I'll-I'll kill you." Erin said, grabbing Nick tighter with shaking hands. The guy laughed humorlessly, and the Captain stepped in front of Erin.

"Get the hell out of her, Parker." He said. Ben stepped towards him and hissed,

"Give her back, and I'll just leave nice and easy like."

"No." The Captain said.

"Then who's gonna stop me?"


	16. Chapter 16: Together as a team

**Hey guys! Please REVIEW for meh, and I will luv you forever! XD Lol, ok maybe not forever, but I will so appreciate it! I realize that in chapter 5 I said that Ben was 39, but that was a mistake! Sorry! I just wanted to clear up any confusion in any wittle over-thinkin heads ;p in this chapter it does say that Ben is 35, just sayin! Mkay, byeeeez! REVIEW PLEASE! 3**

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Captain Renard stood his ground, face-to-face with thirty-five-year-old Ben Parker, and was not about to give Erin up. Not yet. Not ever.

"Get the hell out of here, or I will put you under arrest." Captain Renard said through gritted teeth. Ben laughed coldly and looked past Sean's shoulder to see Erin's white, frightened face. She was trying to seem brave, but it was more than obvious that she was _shaking_ with fear.

"I'll find you, you little traitor." Ben said to her angrily. Erin let go of Nick immediately and walked right up to Ben. She stood mere inches in front of him and looked up confidently into his cold, dark, brown eyes.

"I'm _not_ a traitor. You can't touch me-" She said, pausing to lean in closer so that only Ben could hear.

"Because I'll kill you first." She hissed. Ben leaned down to her so that his face was right in front of hers.

"Keep dreaming, kid. You know what I am. I could put you in the Lowen Games easily to be torn limb from limb, quicker than you can say 'oops'." He snarled.

"Oops." Erin said cockily.

"You little smart ass bitch." Ben said, slightly amused. Erin tried to hurl herself at him angrily, but Captain Renard held her back. She struggled to lunge at Ben, but Renard had a good grip on her.

"Nick!" He cried. Nick stood over and helped keep Erin back. He grabbed one arm and Renard grabbed another.

"I hate you!" Erin shrieked at Ben, who shrugged, smirking contently.

"I know." He said simply. With one small effort, Renard jerked Erin backwards and she stumbled back between him and Nick.

"Erin!" He yelled firmly.

"What?!" Erin yelled back at him angrily. Renard shook her arm and said in a low, stern voice,

"You'll get yourself killed if you keep acting like this, so stop it!" Erin swallowed hard and her jaw tightened. She gritted her teeth and stopped struggling against him and Nick and glared at him as she yanked her arms out of their grips.

"You're not my dad." She muttered. Then she looked up at Ben and said,

"And neither are you."

"I have authority over you." Ben said, his voice rising angrily.

"No you don't." Erin snapped back angrily. Ben stepped forward and raised him fist, as if he was going to punch her, but instead of cowering back, Erin took a step forward.

"You hit me, and you go to jail. You threaten me, and I kill you." She said seriously, in a low, dark voice, that sent chills up both, Nick _and_ Sean's spines'. Ben glared at her and then he Woged.

"I could rip you apart. Just watch yourself." He growled. His Lowen face lingered for a minute or so, then changed back to human. Nick watched him carefully and exchanged a glance with Sean, who also saw it. Hank was the only one unaware of Ben's Woge. Erin kept her eyes locked with Ben's, but Nick could still see the flash of amber in her eyes as she scowled at him.

Ben pointed to her accusingly and said,

"Don't you make that face." In a surprisingly scolding, yet even, voice. Then, _Erin's_ face changed right before their eyes, and this time, it was a full Woge, not just her eyes. Her nose narrowed and sharped and formed a beak and the whites of her eyes became black, making her amber irises glow wildly. Her face bared small, thin feathers and her eyebrows arched angrily.

"I can do what I want." She snarled. Ben locked his jaw and yelled,

"Holy shit!" Before anybody could react, Ben swung his fist hard and straight into Erin's face, knocking her backwards. Renard caught Erin quickly, and he saw Erin's face instantly transform back to normal, but her cheekbone was already swollen and turning a purple-color. She lay limp and motionless in his arms for a moment, but then she blinked up at him with her wide, green eyes that could make anybody cave in sympathy.

"Thanks." She said to him softly.

"For what?"

"Being there for me." Erin wasn't talking about when Renard caught her. She meant when he'd stood up to Ben to protect her. She felt something unusual, like a feeling that gnawed at her brain and heart. She couldn't quite tell what it was , because she'd never really felt it before. Then she realized what it was; affection. She _cared _about Renard and she glanced over at Nick, who, along with Hank, were securely handcuffing Ben's wrists together, and realized that she cared about him too.

She'd never had anybody give a shit about her, specifically Ben. But Erin also felt somewhat guilty. Renard wasn't as bad as she'd thought he was over the years, since he'd killed Rider. He was actually a really caring and soft person on the inside.

"I couldn't just give you up, could I?" Renard said gently. Erin smiled and grabbed a hold of his hand and squeezed it tightly. Renard held her up steadily and gently, yet securely. Erin relaxed her head on the inside of his arm and said to him,

"You know I'm going to kill him, right?" Renard looked down at her and couldn't help but grin at her.

"No, you're not. I'm not going to let you do that." He said. Before Erin could say more, he set her carefully on her feet and looked up at Nick, who had handed Ben over to Hank.

"Are you OK?" Nick asked Erin concernedly. Erin nodded and sighed a low, exhausted sigh.

"I'm used to it now." She said sadly. Nick shook his head furiously.

"Nobody should be used to it." He said in a serious tone. Erin shrugged and Nick examined her cheek. He softly touched it with the tips of his fingers, and she winced and jerked away from him.

"Sorry." He muttered apologetically.

"Detective, get Erin an ice-pack and make sure she's really OK. I'll stay here and take care of Ben." Renard said. Nick nodded and wrapped his arm around Erin's shoulder.

"You're a brave kid, you know? Stupid. But brave." He said. Erin grinned proudly and nodded.

"I know." She said. Nick laughed and steered her in the right direction they needed to go to get her an ice-pack.

Nick got the ice-pack and pressed it gently against her cheekbone. She winced again, but this time, she didn't jerk away. She gritted her teeth to prevent from screaming and her body was tensed, trying to withstand the cold and pain.

"I know it hurts, but it'll make it better." Nick said apologetically.

"I know." Erin managed to say. Her breaths came out in short, raspy gasps, as she tried hard not to scream.

"He's a bastard." She muttered angrily. Nick's eyes widened and he said in a firm tone,

"Watch your language."

"Nick, I've known him longer than you; I don't think you understand who he is as much as me. I think I have some good reasons to call him that." Erin said surely. Nick nodded in agreement. He pulled the ice-pack away from her face and handed it to her.

"Here; keep this on your face with only a slight amount of pressure, OK?" Nick said. Erin nodded and took the ice-pack from his hands and pressed it against her face. She followed him back to his desk, and watched with him as Renard and Wu and a couple of other officers dealt with Ben, who was scowling in his handcuffs. Ben shot Erin a hateful look and she smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. Ben looked away, but still bared a scowl on his face.

"Nick?" Erin said.

"Yeah?"

"Will he really go to jail?"

"Well, yeah. Child abuse is against the law." Nick said.

"For how long?" Erin asked eagerly. Nick shrugged.

"I don't know. You'll have to talk to the Captain." He said. Erin nodded disappointedly, her eagerness gone.

"Hey." Nick said, kneeling down in front of her so that he was level with her.

"He's not going to hurt you for a long while, OK?" He said. Then, Erin did something that totally took Nick off guard; she hurled herself at him, embracing him in a tight, comfortable hug. Her thin arms wrapped around his neck, and for a moment, Nick was too shocked to react, but then, he wrapped his arms securely around her small body and held her tightly.

"I trust you, Nick." She whispered in his ear.

"Good. Because you have to trust me if you want to get through this." Nick said. He held her at arms length and she nodded seriously to him, understanding that they needed to work together as a team.

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**Hey, guys! I know, this chapter is kinda short, but I'm need to cram a lot of important stuff into the next (and I ****_think_**** last for this story, but not for the sequel!) chapter, so I'm sorry that this chapter was so short! Thanks for reading and please review!**


	17. Chapter 17: Hungry much?

**Warning! The following content includes the majority of the ending (actually, the entire ending pretty much) of the Grimm episode, "Face Off" so sorry if there might be some spoilers if you haven't seen it yet. Enjoy, and please review! I know there's some jumping from thing to thing a little, but now, just a heads up, Nick knows about the Captain, OK? Just letting you know, so as not to confuse you guys. It be really hard to cram a bunch of details about it, so if you haven't seen "Face Off", I put the important details from it in this chapter so you can kind of be caught up. So, what happens in this chapter that ****_I _****write, is ****_after_**** "Face Off". Sorry about any confusion! :p BTW, I received a review saying that it's hard to tell who is speaking, so I tried to be more clear about that in this chapter, and I hope it's easier to read! Thank you for that review [you know who you are], because it's really helpful and I need some honesty! :D**

_Nick got out of his car after he parked it in front of Sean Renard's designated meeting place and his foot kicked something that clinked. He bent down and picked up a glass figurine of a little girl with her arms outstretched. The memory of when he'd discovered he was a Grimm and when that little girl, Robin Howell, was kidnapped. She'd been kidnapped by a postman, who turned out to be a Blutbad, and had been kept in a secret room underground. He remembered the gunshots and then the postman falling to the ground. He'd rolled him over and asked,_

_"Where is she?!" But the Blutbad only said,_

_"Grimm." And that was it. He'd died right then and Nick had found Robin. Nick stood up and the memory went away when he saw the headlights coming closer._

_"This is an interesting choice." Nick said, gesturing to the abandoned home behind him to Sean Renard. Sean approached him steadily and said,_

_"There's a reason for that." He was breathing a little heavily and he continued with,_

_"We have a lot to talk about." Nick looked at him for a moment, and then said,_

_"Let's start with this." And he plunged his fist into Sean's face. Sean grabbed his other arm, but Nick swung at his face again and hit him for the second time in the face. Sean fell to the ground and Nick pinned him down and took another swing, but Sean deflected it and threw him over his head to the ground. Sean stood up abruptly and so did Nick, and Sean yelled,_

_"Nick! We don't have to do it this way!"_

_"Yeah we do." Nick said, and he swung his fist at Sean, who again, deflected it, but Nick spun him around and kicked him twice in the back. Sean faced Nick, both breathing hard, and then Sean Woged into a Hexenbiest. Nick stared at him in confusion and shock._

_"You?" He breathed. Sean snapped back to into a human, and said,_

_"Just listen to me-" But Nick cut him off._

_"How long have you known about me?"_

_"Ever since your aunt came to see you."_

_"You tried to kill her."_

_"It was never about her, it was always about the key!" Sean said, his voice rising. _

_Nick took a swing at him, but Sean deflected it and punched him right in the gut. He spun around and brought his fist to Nick's face, and then he kicked him harshly in the stomach and tried to punch Nick again, but he deflected it and first punched him in the stomach, then kneed him in the stomach. _

_Sean deflected his second attempt, and tried to slam him to the ground, but Nick did a half back bend, half flip and regained his balance. Nick launched himself at Sean and grabbed his jacket, and Sean did the same._

_"You took the key!" Nick cried._

_"You don't understand how important this is!" Sean yelled back._

_"I have a pretty good idea!" Nick yelled._

_"Nick!" Sean yelled furiously and he slammed Nick's hands off of his jacket. He pushed him away from him and yelled,_

_"I brought the key! Here, I'm giving it back to you, that's why I called you here!" Sean cried, holding up the key for Nick to see it. He tossed it to him and Nick caught it easily and stared at him. Both of them were panting heavily._

_"I've known about that key far longer than you have. You can kill me, and this won't end. Or I could kill you, but this still won't end. There's a reason I asked you to come here." He paused to catch his breath and then continued._

_"I know how you found that kidnapped girl that was brought here, and I know what that postman was. I knew what Adalind did to Juliette, and I knew I was the only one who could wake her up." Nick looked at Sean, taking in what he'd just heard, and Sean pointed to the key and Nick's hand and said,_

_"If Adalind gets that key, we're both dead. So unless you and I can figure out a way to resolve our differences.. They will win Nick."_

_"The Royal families." Nick said finally._

_"It's a lot bigger than you and me. And we're going to have to deal with this, one way or another." Sean said._

_"And what about Juliette?" Nick asked._

_"Believe me nobody wants this thing between me and Juliette to end more than I do." Sean said surely._

_"Yeah, well I guess you're going to have to prove that." Nick said._

_"Yeah, well... If I knew how, I would."_

_"I know how." Nick said, his jaw tightening. Nick and Sean went to Juliette's house and knocked on the door. She opened it and looked at the two of them, standing on her porch with bruises and serious faces._

_"Now what?" Juliette asked. The three of them went to Rosalee's Exotic Spice and Tea Shop and Nick watched nervously as Rosalee blended a color-changing mixture of some sort. She poured it into a glass and handed it to Nick, and Monroe watched dreadfully. Nick took the glass, glanced around at everybody and raised it a little as if to say "cheers" and then gulped it down._

_Everybody watched him carefully as he drank the mixture. Nick finished the mixture and took the glass from his lips and wiped his mouth with a disgusted look on his face. He put the glass down and breathed deeply for a moment and everybody studied him carefully and he let out a long breath and said, grinning a little,_

_"That was it?"_

_"No." Sean said simply. Nick jerked back violently, clutching his stomach as though somebody had just kicked him, and he staggered back into a desk, knocking several things to the floor._

_"That's it." Sean said casually, gesturing to Nick, who had knocked over a chair and grasped the counter._

_"Nick!" Juliette cried. Rosalee and Monroe gasped and took a step back from the counter._

_"Nick!" Juliette repeated, coming to Nick's side as he slid to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain. He was panting heavier than when he and Sean had fought._

_"This is crazy, what have you done?" Juliette said. Everyone watched him concernedly, but Juliette crouched down beside him and said,_

_"We have to do something." Monroe, Rosalee, and Sean, exchanged worried glances and Nick gasped loudly for air. Juliette looked at him with worry and then his face began to turn a bright, abnormal red. Juliette clutched his hand and asked,_

_"What is happening? Nick!" Nick's whole body turned the same shade as his face and Monroe glanced at Rosalee with deep concern._

_"Please, please hold on." Juliette begged Nick, who was still gasping for air._

_"Please. C'mon." She said._

* * *

"Nick." Sean said to Nick.

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do about Erin?" Sean asked in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked utterly confused.

"She needs to eat and get some rest. What are we going to do with her?" Sean repeated. Nick glanced at Erin and saw her yawn ever so slightly and nodded in agreement.

"I see what you mean." He mumbled. Then he sighed and said,

"I can't take her." He locked eyes with Sean and his jaw tightened and he said,

"I don't have my own house anymore. I'm staying with Monroe, or did you forget?" Sean sighed, a little frustrated that Nick was choosing _now_ to discuss the situation they were all in.

"Take her to your apartment." Nick suggested casually. Sean shook his head and frowned.

"That's unprofessional." He said. Nick raised his eyebrows at him suspiciously and Sean sighed and said,

"She doesn't trust me as well as she trusts you." He admitted.

"Yeah, I can tell, and maybe there's a reason for that." Nick snapped coldly, but he, too, was stumped. Then he shrugged and sighed as well.

"I'll talk to Monroe. 'See if I can work something out." He mumbled. Sean nodded and turned and went into his office. Nick pulled out his phone and called Monroe, who picked up on the first ring.

"Monroe, it's me, Nick." Nick said before Monroe could say so much as a "hey".

"Nick? What is it?" Monroe asked, a little worried.

"I don't know what to do about Erin." Nick said. There was a paused and Nick heard Monroe sigh, just as he and Sean had. Monroe understood that he was asking if Erin could stay with them, but he wasn't sure how to answer.

"I don't know, Nick. Where would she sleep?" Monroe asked.

"She could sleep on the couch. If not, _I'll _stay on the couch and she could stay in the guestroom." Nick suggested, then, before Monroe could say anything, he added,

"And I'll take her to the Diner so you don't have to worry about food." Monroe thought for a moment, then he let out a long, defeated breath and muttered,

"Fine. When are you going to stop getting me involved in your problems?" Nick grinned and thanked Monroe and then hung up. He quickly went into Sean's office, knocking first, and then entered without waiting for a reply.

"Nick?" Sean said, looking up from his desk at Nick.

"Erin's going home with me." Nick said simply. Sean nodded, relieved, then Nick said,

"But I told Monroe that I would take her to the Diner, but I need to take care of Ben." Sean nodded and said,

"I'll get Hank to take care of Ben. You take Erin to the Diner, and just let me take care of things here, OK?" Nick nodded and left Sean's office. He strode over to Erin and put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump. She whirled around and let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was just Nick.

"C'mon." Nick said, steering her to the Precinct doors.

"Where are we going?" Erin asked him.

"The Diner." Nick replied. Erin bit her lip and didn't say anything, and followed Nick out to his car. She climbed into the backseat after Nick told her that it was technically illegal for her to sit up front under the age of thirteen, especially when she was so light, so she sat in the back. Nick got behind the wheel and checked to make sure Erin was buckled up.

He put the key in the ignition and turned it, getting the car started, then he pulled out of the Precinct and headed towards the Diner. He glanced in the rearview mirror to check on Erin, who was simply looking out the window, watching the other cars that were also driving at this time of night.

"So. What do you like to do, Erin?" Nick asked amidst the silence. Erin thought for a moment, then she replied simply,

"Drawing." Nick jutted his lower lip out and nodded, gesturing that what she said was interesting.

"Why's that?" He asked. Erin let out a long breath that seemed a little sad and shrugged, continuing to look out the window.

"Because it's the only thing I know how to do, I guess." She murmured. Nick glanced at her in the mirror again and studied her face, which remained focused on the passing cars outside the window.

"What about reading?" Erin fidgeted uncomfortably and said,

"I can't read." Nick raised his eyebrows in shock, and then it dawned on him how sad and misfortunate it was that she was eleven years old and couldn't read. It wasn't her fault. Not at all. It was Ben's, but he knew that _that_ wasn't _entirely_ the reason either.

"I'm sure you'll learn fast." Nick said helpfully.

"Yeah, like you learned how to be a good Grimm so fast. That's why you're always running to Monroe for help then, I guess?" She snapped. She caught his eye in the mirror and quickly looked away.

"Sorry, I didn't-I just-" She sighed and gave up with a final "sorry". Nick nodded in understandment as they pulled up to the Diner. He got out of the car and helped Erin out.

" 'Doesn't matter." He said casually as he held the door open for her. The cool blast of the refreshing AC rushed over Erin's face. Nick walked behind her and sat at a random table, and Erin did the same. It wasn't too busy; there were small clutters of people chattering softly about their personal lives' around them, but it wasn't all that busy. It only took the waiter two minutes to ask for their order.

"What would you like to drink, Sir?" The waiter asked Nick politely.

"I'll just have a coffee. _With_ milk." Nick replied, giving the waiter a nice, polite smile. The waiter nodded, scribbled it down, and turned to Erin, grinning kindly.

"And what would you like, sweetheart?" He asked her sweetly. Erin fought the urge to scowl at the man for calling her "sweetheart", but she knew that he was just being nice. Erin glanced at Nick, obviously unsure of what she should, or as a matter of fact _could_, order to drink.

"Uh, she'll just have a glass of milk." Nick said for her. The waiter nodded and scribbled that down as well and then asked,

"Are y'all ready to order yet, or do you need a minute?"

"No, we'll order now." Nick said kindly.

"OK, and what would you like?" The waiter asked, pencil ready to write down the order.

"We'll just get two cheeseburgers." Nick said nonchalantly, watching the waiter, even though his head was bent down as he was busy writing down the order. The waiter glanced up from his scribbling and asked,

"With everything on it?" Nick nodded and the waiter scribbled that down too, and turned and left, calling out orders to the people in the kitchen.

"Nick?" Erin said.

"Yeah?" Nick said, focusing his attention on Erin.

"I've never had a cheeseburger before. Does it taste good?" Erin asked him. Nick laughed and Erin cocked her head to the side, wondering what was so funny. Nick stopped laughing and nodded, struggling against the urge to burst out laughing again.

"You've never had a _cheeseburger_ before?" He asked, extremely shocked. Erin shrugged and nodded,

"Well yeah. I was never given much to eat, you know, and I wasn't too picky about _what _I got, or even _when _I got it." She explained. Nick controlled himself enough to say,

"Well, I'm sure you'll like cheeseburgers. Unless you're a vegetarian, that is. But I highly doubt that _you're_ a vegetarian." Erin smiled sheepishly, and before she could say anything, their food was placed on the table in front of them, along with their drinks.

Erin gaped at her large cheeseburger and tall glass of milk, and looked up at Nick with surprise and shock.

"I can eat all of _this_?" She asked bewildered. Nick nodded slowly and thoroughly, making sure that Erin clearly understood that she could eat _all_ of it. Erin picked up her cheeseburger and stared at it for a moment, then she sank her teeth into and chewed quickly. She swallowed and took another bite. And another. The entire thing was gone in less than three minutes and in just five bites.

Erin grabbed her glass of milk and drank it thirstily. Milk dribbled down Erin's chin as she quickly chugged the whole glass in fifteen seconds. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her hoodie, which had been returned to her after Nick had retrieved it from the hospital for her, along with her old tennis shoes and torn pants.

Nick gaped at Erin in complete and utter shock. He was completely speechless. He'd ordered Erin a large cheeseburger, a _quarter pounder_, and a large glass of milk, and she'd finished the entire meal in less than five minutes.

"What?" Erin asked him as he continued to stare at her, still speechless. Nick shook his head, dazed, and asked seriously,

"When was the last time you _ate_?" Erin scrunched her face up, thinking about Nick's question, then finally said,

"I think three or four days ago." She said it so nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. That's what made Nick mad.

"Erin, that's called neglect. That's horrible." Nick said, his voice raising a little bit. Erin blinked at him innocently and said,

"Don't yell at _me_. It's not my fault. If I had the chance to get something to eat, I would've taken it. Ben always locked the house when he left. I didn't have a key; I couldn't get out." Nick held up his hands apologetically in surrender to her comment.

"I know, I know." A corner of his mouth twitched upwards a little, forming a small smile, and he continued,

"Take it easy. I didn't _say_ it was your fault."

"Well that's kind of how you put it." Erin pointed out. Nick glanced down at her empty food plate and asked her, raising an eyebrow slightly,

"Are you still hungry?" Erin thought for a moment, then nodded her head, causing some strands of her long, messy, dark hair to fall in front of her silvery green eyes. She ran a hand carelessly through her hair, moving it out of her face. Nick pushed his burger over to her and nodded to it.

"Here; eat mine." He said. Erin looked up at him and raised her eyebrows at him as if to asked _'are you sure?' _and Nick nodded.

"I'm not very hungry." He said surely. Erin glanced at him one more time then shrugged and picked up the second quarter pounder and bit into it viciously and animal-like. Nick watched as she finished her second quarter pounder in four bites and two minutes. He'd timed her this time. He stared at her, blinking speechlessly, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you OK?" She asked him, a worried expression forming over her face. Nick closed his gaping mouth and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Kid, you can eat." He said. Erin laughed a little and so did Nick. They sounded similar, in a way, but what made Nick laugh was that Erin's laugh was so gracious and cute, and he rarely heard her laugh, or even saw her smile. Then, Nick's phone rang in his pocket; it was the Captain. He slid the answer button to the right of his screen and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Burkhardt." He said instantly.

"Nick, I need you to come down to the Precinct." The Captain's voice came out low and serious, causing Nick's happy mood to drain down to a serious level.

"On my way." He said and ended the call. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and called for the check. The waiter brought it over instantly and Nick paid quickly and he gestured his head to the doors to Erin.

"C'mon." He said. Erin's smile faded and she stood up as soon as Nick did, a worry filling her once more.

"I need to go back to the Precinct. I need to take you to Monroe's; you're going to stay the night there." Nick said, striding towards the door.

"Geez, wait up!" Erin said, jogging to his side. She jogged ahead of him and pushed the door open, and the cool night air rushed over her face. She shivered and hugged her jacket closer. Her breath came out in white, wispy clouds in front of her face as she rushed to Nick's car. She swung the door open and clambered inside, closing the door quickly behind her.

Nick smiled and got in the driver's side and closed the door. He turned around and glanced back at her and then focused on driving. He turned the key in the ignition again and they took off towards Monroe's house.

**Hope you liked the chapter! Only about 2 left for this story, then it's a sequel, so don't forget to look for it! I hope you are still enjoying the story this far! This one may seem a little boring compared to the sequel, so stay with me and don't forget to look for the sequel! Review! I als****o want to thank Sammarie228, yogi16,White Cat, D Squirrel, and LittleBounce for reviewing and being so helpful and nice, and I really appreciate it! They helped me a lot with good, and honestly helpful, constructive criticism and just nice reviews. Thanks EVERYBODY for reviewing AND reading!**


	18. Chapter 18: Morning pancakes

**Chapter 18. Enjoy, and be a nice person and press that adorable little review button (who, right now, is giving you Bambi eyes to press him!) ;) Hope you enjoy!**

Nick knocked on Monroe's door and Monroe opened it instantly. He gave Nick an annoyed look for a moment, then he looked down at Erin and muttered,

"Two of you, is way too much." Nick rolled his eyes and Monroe stepped aside so they could both enter his small, comfortable home. Monroe closed the door behind them and faced them both.

"So, Nick, have you taken her to the Diner yet, or do I have to do _that_ too?" Monroe said teasingly.

"She's eaten already." Nick snapped.

"And trust me, Monroe, Erin can eat a _lot_. She at two burgers in less than six minutes." Nick said to Monroe in a whisper. Monroe's eyes widened and he glanced down at Erin who stood by Nick's side with a puzzled look. She raised a thin eyebrow at him and said,

"What?" Monroe shook his head quickly and forced a smile.

"Nothing, nothing." He said hastily.

"Doesn't _sound_ like nothing." Erin muttered.

"Well it _is _nothing, Erin." Nick snapped. Erin rolled her eyes at him and shrugged.

"Whatever." She mumbled. Monroe gave Nick a concerned look and asked,

"Nick, are you OK?" Nick shook his head angrily and let out a long low, breath of air.

"I don't know. Look, Monroe, I've got to go back to the Precinct. It's an emergency." He said quickly and he turned and had his hand gripped on the doorknob, but Monroe stopped him.

"Wait, but Nick, it's past eleven already! You can't go back to the Precinct _now_!" Monroe cried. Nick stopped, then turned to him and said,

"I'm a cop, Monroe." Then he turned the doorknob and walked out of Monroe's house. Both Monroe and Erin stood there for a moment, looking at where Nick had just been standing, then they heard the sound of a car driving away and Monroe said,

"And he's gone." Erin glanced at him and he sighed.

"OK, well I guess you can stay on the couch. I'll get you some blankets and a pillow." He murmured. Erin cocked her head sideways and said,

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. I didn't run away from _you_, you know. I just didn't want you or Nick to get hurt for helping me. I'm really sorry, you know." Monroe studied her up and down and shrugged.

"We all make mistakes." He said helpfully.

"So, you're OK with me being here, then?" Erin asked. Monroe nodded and went to go get Erin a blanket and a pillow, leaving Erin standing in the middle of his living room. She glanced around at some of the clocks he had and examined them carefully.

"So cool." She mumbled to herself as she faintly traced her fingers over one of the clocks.

"OK, here you go." Monroe said, coming back with a blanket and a pillow in his arms. Erin jumped and turned around.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Monroe said slowly, puzzled by her edginess. He placed the pillow on the couch first, then neatly placed the blanket over the couch, tucking in the bottom corners.

"Thanks." Erin muttered. Monroe went into the kitchen and got himself a beer and opened it up. He chugged down a few sips, then stood there, thinking. He glanced at a clock and realized that it was pretty late and that Erin should really go to bed. He walked out of the kitchen and said,

"You know, it's really late; I think you should, you know-" He paused and nodded to the couch and continued talking.

"Hop into bed." He finished and Erin nodded. She unzipped her jacket and placed it neatly on the arm of the couch. She kept her faded and torn jeans on, and her black, worn-out shirt on, which she'd been wearing underneath her jacket.

Erin clambered onto the couch and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder.

"If you need anything, I'll be just down the hall." Monroe said, and he started walking towards his bedroom, but Erin stopped him.

"Monroe?" She said in an innocent little voice.

"Yeah?" Monroe said without turning around.

"Thanks for letting me stay here." Erin said, smiling at him warmly.

"Seems my house has been becoming a hotel lately." Monroe muttered and he went into his bedroom, turning off the lights as he did so. Erin heard his door shut and she snuggled down under the blankets.

"Just go to sleep. Sleep. Just close your eyes, and go to sleep. Nothing's gonna happen." Erin told herself. She must've fallen asleep just before Nick got back, which was at around 12 o'clock. Nick opened the door slowly to Monroe's house and closed it softly. He tiptoed past Erin, who was sleeping soundly and peacefully.

He stood for a moment, watching Erin's calm, angelic, face as she slept without so much as a murmur. It must've been the first time she'd slept soundly in a long, long while. Nick smiled a little and he turned and went quietly up the stairs to the guest bedroom, where he slept, thinking to himself about everything Erin's been through. Which was a lot.

He pitied her a little bit, but some of the things that she was involved in were because of her own choices. Nobody else's.

Nick kicked off his shoes as he reached the top of the stairs and stripped off his shirt. He pulled back the blankets and lay down to go to sleep, but he couldn't. He stared blankly up at the ceiling, unable to shut off his mind. He tossed and turned, but he couldn't get comfortable. He sighed and closed his eyes tightly and tried to clear his mind.

A couple hours later, he finally dropped off to sleep. When he woke up, Monroe and Erin were already awake and dressed in the kitchen. Nick had thrown on a clean shirt and pants, but his hair was still messy from tossing and turning all night.

"Morning Nick." Monroe said to him cheerfully as he trudged down the stairs.

"Uh, what are you making there?" Nick asked him, staring at the grey circles Monroe was cooking on a pan, which seemed to resemble pancakes.

"Please tell me those are not the same "pancakes" you made when those three Wesen robbed those banks and broke the Code." Nick said, grimacing at the grey blobs.

"Yep. Quinoa Blueberry Pancakes, again with spinach, basil, and walnut puree maple syrup. I figured since last time you had to rush off so quickly and didn't get a chance to try it that I'd make it again." Monroe said, smirking. Nick groaned and glanced over at Erin who sat at the table, staring at the pancakes with such a funny look of disgust, Nick laughed.

"What?" Monroe asked. Nick shook his head and sat at the table next to Erin.

"Hey. How'd you sleep?" He asked her. Erin tore her eyes away from the Quinoa Blueberry Pancakes and faced Nick and shrugged.

"OK, actually." She said nonchalantly. Nick nodded and said,

"Good. Any nightmares?"

"Not that I can remember." Erin replied, smiling.

"Want some coffee, Nick?" Monroe asked as he pulled out a mug from the cabinet.

"Sure." Nick said, and Monroe pulled out another mug. He poured the already-made coffee in both mugs and put milk and sugar in both. He handed Nick his mug and Nick thanked him, and then he went and sipped his own as he finished the Quinoa pancakes.

"And, do you want milk?" Monroe asked Erin, who nodded in response. He pulled out a glass and filled it with milk and gave it to Erin. Erin drank it steadily, unlike the night before at the Diner.

"So Erin, have you ever attended public school?" Nick asked suddenly. Erin was caught completely off guard and nearly choked to death on a mouthful of milk. She cleared her throat and looked at Nick with clear shock and curiosity. Nick and Monroe both froze and gawked at her reaction, puzzled, but didn't say anything.

"School? Uh, no, I haven't." Erin murmured.

"Well, then you're going to." Nick said, a corner of his mouth turning upwards. Erin's eyes widened in horror and she gaped at Nick.

"Me? At school? I don't think so." She said. She gave a short, shaky, sarcastic laugh and shook her head.

"No way." She said. Nick glanced at Monroe, who was just as confused as her reaction as he was.

"It's just school." Nick said, trying to get through to her and convince her that there was nothing wrong with school.

"I'm eleven, Nick. What do you think people would say about an eleven year old that can't read, or barely even _add_?" Erin said sharply. Monroe inhaled deeply and exhaled through the cracks of his clamped teeth.

"Ooh. Awkward. But I think she's got a point, Nick." He said to Nick. Nick turned to him and said,

"Who's side are _you_ on?" Monroe put down his spatula and avoided Nick's gaze.,

"Well think about it, what _would_ kids say? Nowadays, kids just point out things to make fun of people for, so I'm not doubting the fact that they would say something about, you know, Erin and everything." Then he hastily added,

"Not that I'm disagreeing with you or anything!" In response to Nick's glare. Nick mulled this over and forced a smile at Monroe's attempt to seem like he wasn't disagreeing with him.

"OK, Monroe. Thank you _so_ much for your help." Nick said, just as sarcastically as his smile. Monroe held up his hands in surrender and picked his spatula back up and scooped the last Quinoa pancake onto a plate with the other pancakes and set it on the table.

"Serves up!" He said cheerfully, taking a seat next to Nick and handing everyone plates. Nick and Erin placed their plates neatly in front of them and Monroe helped himself to a pancake. Monroe rubbed his hands together excitedly and glanced back and forth from Nick to Erin.

"C'mon. What are you guys waiting for, dig in!" He said. Erin and Nick grimaced at each other and hesitantly grabbed a pancake. Erin stared at it and looked up at Monroe and asked,

"What _is_ it?"

"It's Quinoa Blueberry Pancakes. They're good for you." Monroe said matter-o-factually. Erin scrunched her nose and said,

"They don't look healthy; they look like they could kill you." Nick, who had just taken a sip of his coffee, choked just as Erin had on her milk, and then forced himself to swallow and then laughed. Monroe shot him a look and said,

"As I told Nick, taste is a small price to pay for health." Monroe told her proudly.

"Not a price I'm willing to pay." Nick said teasingly, pushing his plate away from him. Erin copied him and gave Monroe an apologetic look.

"Suit yourself. You guys have _no_ appreciation for health." Monroe said, stuffing a forkful of Quinoa Blueberry pancake into his mouth. Nick watched him swallow slowly, then turned back to Erin.

"So. You're going to public school." He said to her firmly.

"Well, let's hope you don't get confused and accidently put me in kindergarten." Erin snapped angrily, crossing her thin arms over her chest. Monroe's second forkful of pancake hovered in front of his mouth, and then he put it down and said to Nick,

"Looks like she called you out." In a teasing tone.

"OK, Monroe, you have no say in this!" Nick snapped. Monroe snorted and shrugged.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed." He muttered. Nick glared at him and said to Erin,

"I don't think anybody could even put an eleven year old in kindergarten."

"Oh, so you _are_ smart enough to figure that out?" Erin retorted. Monroe stood up and held up his hands, one towards Nick, and one towards Erin, trying to get the two of them to calm down and be nice.

"OK, I think we both just need to take a deep breath and relax." Monroe said helpfully. Nick's jaw tightened and he narrowed his eyes at Erin.

"Look. I'm trying to _help_ you." Nick said through gritted teeth, ignoring Monroe's comment. Erin laughed sarcastically, and snapped back,

"I think we've all had enough of _your_ help. And apparently your definition of "help" is dragging people into your problems." She shot a look at Monroe, and added,

"I had enough problems of my own, until you _had_ to tell me all of this _Grimm_ stuff. I think you might want to consider giving a Monroe a break, too. You seem to give him more problems than he can deal with." Nick glanced at Monroe, who sat down slowly and looked around the kitchen as he took a sip of coffee, trying to pretend that he wasn't involved, or listening, to their argument.

"Monroe, do I give you more problems?" Nick asked, though it was more like a demand than a question.

"Uh-" Monroe began nervously, until Erin spoke for him.

"See! There you go! Do _not_ drag Monroe into this, too. Leave him out of this." She said.

"Hey, there's a good idea." Monroe pointed out cheerfully.

"OK, you know what, Erin?! You're going to school and that's final! No-no questions about it!" Nick spat angrily. Erin jerked her head back and gave him a rude look and said,

"Who put _you_ in charge? You're not my dad."

"Well I'm your only family, so you have to listen to me!" Nick said, his voice raising impatiently. Erin shot up out of her chair, her face red with fury.

"And how is it that _you_ got to be raised by my mom when your parents died?! How is it, that _you're_ the one my mom chose not to give up? How is it that _you_ grew up with a real mom?!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, though she was unaware of them until she reached up and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Nick blinked and calmed down. The thought that Erin was possibly jealous of him hadn't occurred to him and he felt a huge wave of guilt wash over him.

"Erin, I'm s-" He began softly, but Erin turned and ran out the door. Both Nick and Monroe sat there for a moment, then Monroe said,

"What a great way to start the day, huh?" Nick ignored him and stood up and walked over towards the door and turned the knob. He opened the door, but paused and turned to Monroe and said,

"Thanks for the coffee. Sorry that I "drag you into my problems". Monroe sighed and shoulders drooped in defeat.

"Nick, c'mon, you know that's not-" Monroe began, but Nick walked out and closed the door behind him.

* * *

Erin walked down Monroe's street with her hands shoved deep in her pockets, wishing that she'd brought her jacket. She sighed and kicked a rock, which rolled roughly in front of her, then came to a stop. She didn't know where to go, so she started to head towards the Precinct.

The Precinct wasn't that far away, after all. It was only about ten or fifteen minutes away, so Erin started heading that direction. The weather was cold, as usual, and her breath came out in swirly white puffs in front of her face. Trees swayed gently overhead and smoke rose from chimneys on most of the houses that she passed.

"Am I being smart?" She asked herself out loud. She sighed and muttered to herself,

"No. I'm not being smart at all." She walked silently for the next five minutes, until she became frustrated with the cold and decided to run to the Precinct. She paused and took a deep breath, then she broke into a run.

She ran and didn't stop the whole time. Stupidly, she didn't even slow down when she crossed the street and many cars honked at her. She reached the Precinct soon enough, but when she did, she was panting and out of breath. She walked to the doors with the small amount of energy she had, practically dragging herself inside.

She pushed the doors open slowly and a rush of cool, air-conditioned air blasted across her face and she was refreshed a little, even though it was cold outside. She slipped inside without anybody noticing her, which is what she wanted. She walked casually to Captain Renard's office and pressed her hands and face up against the window and looked through the open blinds, but the Captain wasn't in there.

She sighed and turned around, and she turned smack into Captain Renard's stomach. He held her shoulders and kept her at arms length.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"I-"

"You're supposed to be with Nick." He snapped, interrupting her.

"I just-I went for a walk." Erin said nonchalantly. Sean Renard frowned at her and studied her carefully.

"Why don't we start with you telling me the truth?" He said firmly. His eyes locked with Erin's until she sighed and looked away.

"Where's Ben?" She asked.

"Don't try changing the subject." He snapped as soon as the words has left her lips. Before Erin could say anything, Sean's phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out and looked at the caller ID; it was Nick. For some reason, he wasn't surprised. Sean glanced at Erin, then turned and walked a few steps away so she wouldn't overhear him talking.

"What is it, Nick?" He asked in a low voice.

"Yeah, Erin got away." Nick said slowly, yet in an icy tone.

"She's here." Sean said casually.

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Keep her there." Nick replied and quickly hung up his phone without either of them saying good-bye. Sean shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned back to Erin and nodded his head towards his office.

"My office. Now." He said sternly. Erin moaned and turned and opened his office door and went inside, and Sean followed behind. He closed the door and leaned against it and crossed his arms over his chest and opened his mouth to say something, but Erin cut him off.

"Nick's making me go to public school!" She blurted. Sean blinked in surprise, then let out a low, long breath and muttered,

"Well hell."


	19. Chapter 19: Public School

"What are you thinking?" Sean Renard blurted as Nick entered his office. Nick glared at him, still holding a grudge against him and feeling that he had no right to say anything about what he chose to do about his younger cousin.

"What I was _thinking _is that Erin needs a proper education. Just because she's a little behind-" Erin blinked back at him and snorted,

"A little behind?!" She cried. Nick raised an eyebrow at her,

"Are you going to let me finish?" He said, grinning annoyed and sarcastically. Erin slumped down in her chair and nodded apologetically. Nick turned back to Sean and continued,

"As I was saying, before _somebody_ interrupted, Erin can't just not go to school just because she's behind. she has to go eventually. It's the law, and you and I should know a thing or two about the law." He said seriously. Sean studied him, mulling the thought over, then sighed in defeat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine. Whatever you say." He said nonchalantly.

"Hell yeah." Nick snapped. He turned to Erin and crouched down in front of her and put on his nicest face.

"Erin, you'll be fine at school. I promise, OK?" He said kindly and gently. Erin looked at him and then up at Sean, who looked at her eagerly, waiting for her answer. Erin took a deep breath, then said,

"If you say that's what's right Nick, then I believe you." She said. Nick let out a relieved breath he didn't even know he'd been holding in and then stood up and smirked at Sean and held out his arms and said,

"What'd I tell you?" Sean shifted uncomfortably and clamped his mouth shut and just nodded angrily.

"I'll see if I can get you enrolled in a school that's close by." Nick said, and with that, he walked out of the office, and Erin stood up to follow, but Sean's voice stopped her,

"What the hell was that? Since when do you agree with anybody?" He asked her coldly. She tossed him a confident and somewhat sassy look and said,

"I don't want to be the way I was. I know Nick can help me be better, that's why I trust him. I want to be better." Sean sighed in frustration, and Erin frowned at him.

"Something tells me you don't want me to go to public school, Renard." She pointed out. Sean looked away and rubbed the back of his neck again,

"It's nothing, I just-" He began angrily, but Erin interrupted him,

"Just what? Clearly it's something." She snapped.

"I just don't want something to happen to you, OK?!" He yelled angrily. He sighed and walked closer to her and said,

"I'm sorry, Erin, I didn't mean to-" He began to apologize, but Erin caught him off guard and wrapped her arms around him.

"You do care." She whispered, though her voice was muffled because her face was buried in his stomach. Sean held her back at arms length and crouched down to her level, which was low for him because he was very tall.

"Hey now." He said softly, wiping a small tear from Erin's little face.

"You'll be alright. It's good that you trust Nick. You're right, he'll make sure your safe, I know he will. He's a good cop." He told her gently.

"But I don't need a good cop. What I _need_ is a good _parent_." Erin mumbled sadly, her innocent green eyes made Sean cave with sadness inside. Sean stood up and straightened himself, and at that moment, Nick burst into the office and said,

"Hey, good news! I got Erin enrolled in a school not to far from here." Erin smiled at him, but Sean clearly saw that it was fake and sad.

"Cool. I guess." She muttered.

"Yeah, you guess right. You'll start next Monday." He said happily.

"Next Monday?!" She cried horrified. Nick nodded and grinned smugly.

"Yeah. Better get ready." He said, and gestured for her to follow him. Erin gave Renard a pleading, _"help me" look_, and followed Nick out of the office.

Monday morning...

"Yes, I have everything, Nick!" Erin repeated for what must've been the fifth time that morning. Nick held up his hands in surrender and said,

"Ok, ok, just making sure." He grinned at her as he helped her put on her brand new jacket, which they'd gone and bought the night before.

"Ok, now if somebody tried to make fun you, just give them a good knock in the head and-" Monroe began to explain, but Nick shot him a warning look and said,

"Uh, Monroe? You're not sending a very good message here. At all." Monroe held up his hands in surrender and muttered,

"Just saying." Erin laughed and opened the door and hopped to Nick's car.

"Uh-uh. Back." Nick said to her as she began to open the passenger door to his car. She sighed and closed the door again and got in the back instead. She buckled up quickly and put her shoulder bag on her lap.

"I'm eleven years old, you know, I can sit in the front seat." She teased. Nick shook his head and grinned as he reversed the car out of Monroe's driveway. As soon as he got out of the driveway, though, his phone rang.

He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket and answered it,

"Burkhardt." He muttered.

"Nick." It was Sean.

"What?" Nick asked through gritted teeth. He'd had enough of this guy and wanted to punch him in the face. Again.

"Put Erin on the phone. I want to talk to her." Sean said firmly. Nick sighed and handed Erin the phone. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged, so she took it and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said.

"Erin, I just wanted to say good luck. Behave, ok, and be a good girl." Sean said, sounding a little sad and a little mad at the same time.

"Ok... Thanks, I guess." Erin muttered, a little confused. Sean hung up and Erin handing Nick his phone back.

"What'd he say?" Nick asked angrily as he drove down the street. Erin shrugged,

"Nothing much, just good luck." She said casually. Nick didn't respond and just continued to drive towards Erin's new school. He pulled up and said,

"Ok, this is it. Want me to walk you in?" Erin shook her head and said goodbye and then got out of the car with her shoulder bag. He honked and she turned to see him wave before tearing off down the road.

Erin tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear and kept her head bent down low, trying to avoid eye contact with anybody. She glanced up every once and a while to see where she was going, and when she did, she kind of wished that she hadn't.

She looked up and her eyes met a tall, rough looking kid, with dark black hair falling just above his cold blue eyes and a black T-shirt, scruffy jeans, and Converse. His arms were folded across his chest as he glared at her with a mean look on his face.

Then, the boy's face shifted into a Schakal and Erin gasped a little, but caught herself and pretended as though she hadn't seen him and started to walk quicker, but as soon as she did, the boy shifted back and blinked at her.

At first, he was surprised, but then he was angry, and he whispered to some other boy behind him and the boy looked and caught her eye as well and he Woged too, but he was a Coyotl, and then he gasped too when he realized the first boy was right; she was a Grimm.

They both started to walk after her, glancing around to see that nobody was watching, and Erin glanced behind her nervously and saw that they were still there and started into a slight jog, and noticed that they, too, began to walk faster. She sped up, trying not to bump into everybody, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boys start to run, and that was it. She glanced around to see that no teachers were watching, then she broke into a sprint to get away from the boys.

She dodged people as best as she could, but she didn't care really, as long as she got away from the two boys.

"Stop!" One of the boys growled angrily. She ignored him and burst past a sea of people, running smack into somebody.

"I'm sorry, are you ok?" Erin focused her sight on the person she'd just crashed into and realized it was a boy. She sat there, stumbling over her words, breathless, and he repeated his question,

"Are you ok?" He asked again. Erin nodded and glanced behind her and saw the boys were still chasing her and that they were pretty close. She tried to break away from the nice boy she'd crashed into, but he pushed her behind him and faced the boys.

"Stay behind me." He growled, still facing the boys, and then he Woged into a Blutbad. Erin gasped in her mind, but forced herself to keep quiet in reality.

"Scott." The Schakal boy snarled as the three of them stood facing each other.

"Back away, Kyle." The Blutbad boy, Scott, snapped at him.

"Don't you talk to him that way." The Coyotl boy said to Scott.

"I just did, and I will, Reece." Scott said.

"Just leave this girl alone." He warned them. Kyle stepped towards him and sneered,

"Or what?"

"Or I'll make you." Scott said, and barely had the words left his lips then he had taken a swing at Kyle's face. Scott's fist caught Kyle's nose, and Kyle staggered backwards and Woged angrily. He muttered curse words and then stood forth and took a swing, but just then, Erin stepped out from behind Scott and caught his fist and slammed it down and then spun around and did a round house kick, smacking him in the jaw.

"Grimm!" He growled angrily as he fell to the ground. His friend, Reece, helped him up, and Kyle said to Erin warningly,

"I'm not done with you yet. We'll get you, Grimm!" Then, he and Reece turned and ran in the opposite direction. Erin sighed and turned to Scott and opened her mouth to thank him, but he immediately cut her off,

"A Grimm?" He said coldly. She sighed and nodded sadly.

"I told you to stay behind me. Kyle Martin and Reece Callard are _not _the guys you want to mess with, and especially since you seem new. And clearly you're a Grimm, too. What's your name?" Scott asked her.

"Erin Kessler. I'm in sixth grade; I'm eleven." Erin said to him. Scott ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, which was spiked up in the front with gel and flat in the back, and let out a long sigh.

"Kessler. That sounds familiar. I'm Scott Carter. I'm in seventh grade, with those guys, Kyle and Reece; I'm thirteen." He said, smiling at her. Erin smiled back, and he said,

"This is going to be a very _exciting _year alright. A Grimm at school. Huh, what do you know." Erin laughed and agreed, and then she said,

"Guess I'll see you later." And went to her first period class, having already made a friend, yet also two enemies. Not bad for the first day in public school. So far.

**Hey guys, hope you liked the chapter! Please review! And yes, this is the last chapter and I'm already working on the sequel, so don't forget to look for me! I'm not sure what it'll be called yet, probably something like "Let Me Fight", because that's what I had in mind, but I'm not sure yet, so it's not official! Love you guys, hope you enjoy, and please please review! :D I'd like to thank LittleBounce, D Squirrel, White Cat, sammarie228, yogi16, and SanctuaryObsessed for reviewing and reading and being super awesome people, and they are so cool and have really made me LMFAO, literally. I appreciate them R&R-ing, and I just wanted to say thanks to them for being awesome! :D**


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